Ruins of Babylon
by Daneel Rush
Summary: "The Aeon of Horus is here: and its first flower may well be this: that, freed of the obsession of the doom of the Ego in Death, and of the limitation of the Mind by Reason, the best men again set out with eager eyes upon the Path of the Wise." SEQUEL.
1. Amphitheater of Anarchy

**Author's Notes and the Story So Far**

Greetings, and welcome to "Ruins of Babylon", second installment of the "Babylon" series and sequel to "Gardens…" I must advise newcomers to read the prequel first; otherwise the story setting will make absolutely no sense.

Before anything else, and because it has been brought up a few times in e-mails and private messages, I'll provide an answer here: the summary of "Gardens of Babylon" shown in this website is in a fact a quote from the Bible. Revelation 17:9-11, to be precise.

And now let's briefly go over the story up to this point, if only to refresh your minds and point out the most important plot elements.

In the setting of "Babylon", the protagonist, **Matsuda Takato**, was a Chosen Child before he was a Tamer. He carries the primordial crest of creation, the **Crest of Dreams**; the original power that spontaneously emerged at the dawn of the Digital World. It gives him the power to do virtually anything, but severe manipulations of reality inflict damage to his soul—**Degradation**—, as the world itself rejects Takato's forceful commandments. Furthermore, the Crest of Dreams has given Takato strange abilities based on a flashy interpretation of the ways of **Thelema**—the spiritual philosophy proposed by the 'magician', Aleister Crowley, and a concept that has not been embodied by any Digimon so far.

At the beginning of the story, the Crest of Dreams was still a secret Takato kept only to himself. However, there is another who knows of the boy's supreme power: the Avatar of Pride, **Lucemon**.

Takato and Lucemon are engaged in the **Game of Completion**, and they have been at it for the past five years. It is a bizarre competition; a macabre combination of chess match and roleplaying game in which they use their supernatural powers to direct the course of events and match their opposite scripts, with Takato protecting the world from Lucemon's attempts at harming everything he holds dear. When Takato loses, Lucemon intends to overwrite Takato's existence with his own to release himself from his imprisonment in the **Dark Area**. He is assisted by the other **Great Demon Lords**, who obey him out of respect and fear but in the end are nothing but additional pieces in the grand scheme of things. That does not stop them from having agendas of their own: **Barbamon** not-so-secretly aims to overthrow Lucemon with the Crest of Dreams he aims to claim from Takato's corpse; **Lilithmon**, who has struck a bizarre alliance with the sister Takato did not know he had until a few months ago, only aims to enjoy herself in the world of humans and engage in mind-blowing incest with her beloved 'onii-sama'. And there's the Avatar of Wrath, **Demon**, who has been missing for years already.

At the end of "Gardens…" we left Takato broken and comatose. He used the thelemic powers of the Crest of Dreams to become **Lucemon Magus Mode**, for it was the only way he could defeat the Avatar of Envy, **Leviamon**, which had possessed his dear friend Katou Juri. The Degradation had extended to the point where his physical body was also severely affected, dragging him to the brink of death. However, it is the same power that slowly kills him which also keeps him alive: the Crest of Dreams acts automatically to protect Takato's life in response to threats of a certain level. The Tamers, who witnessed the awesome battle between Lucemon and Leviamon, were left with many questions unanswered. Furthermore, only one of the Demon Lords was defeated. Even with Takato out of commission, the Game must continue.

So let us continue; the sad tale of the boy who dared play a game with the devil.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **Digimon does not belong to me. That is a good thing.

* * *

_**RUINS OF BABYLON**_

**Chapter 01**

_**The World That Still Spun Around That Boy – Amphitheater of Anarchy**_

* * *

"We have another successful Realization, sir!" Ootori Reika announced from her high seat in the middle of the Hypnos operation room. The perpetually dark abode flashed with only the light projected by the screens that seemingly made the entirety of the room. What had once been a 2D representation of the digital networks was replaced by a map of the bustling metropolis of Tokyo.

"Put it on the screen," Mitsuo Yamaki demanded in a restrained growl, his uneasy right hand fiddling with a worn-our steel lighter.

"Sir, I can't find the Wild One anywhere!" Onodera Megumi almost desperately announced as her hands blurred in front of her, alternating between the keyboard over her thighs and the touch screens in front of her and to the sides.

Watching her from the floor two meters below, Katou Juri thought the Hypnos technicians looked rather cool when they were at work. For the first time ever, she considered Hypnos as a career path.

Unnecessarily—it was a habit that developed strangely quickly—, Juri brought her right hand to the wireless headset attached to her right ear. At the same time, she adjusted her left arm so that it could take the full weight of the large red-pink clam-like Digimon she called partner, **Shakomon**.

On top of her head, the former Digi-Enthelechy, **Calumon**, struggled not to slip off. Juri winced a little when the little beast pulled at her hair to get a better grip, but ignored it for what she knew was truly important.

"Ruki, do you see anything?"

"_Other than Chrysalimon every-goddamn-where, no, I don't see a thing!"_

The conference call was coordinated by Hypnos' private network, and the same voice Juri could hear through her headset filled the entire room as well. It was a simple thing, but it was an important element in the renewed cooperation efforts between Hypnos and the Digimon Tamers after **that day**.

Juri frowned. Ruki's statement was certainly odd. The tracer on Sakuyamon indicated that she was pretty much on top of the Wild One…

She quickly noticed the oddity in the way the unknown Digimon moved. It simply rushed past streets and blocks as if they were not even there. It was as if it could walk through walls, but…

"Of course," she whispered to herself before raising her voice.

"Onodera-san, please show me the—"

The screen changed before she could finish her instruction. The map of the streets of Tokyo had been replaced by an even more complex network of wide paths and gigantic chambers: the city's water flow control system. Looking to the side, Juri noticed Yamaki pulling his right hand off a touch screen.

There was something roughly resembling a smirk on the man's otherwise steeled face.

Juri nodded. Great minds think alike, and all that.

"Right!" She turned her attention back to the ones connected in the conference call with her mobile. "Ruki, the Digimon's traveling through the water control system!"

"_Got it. In which direction? I'll intercept it—"_

"We have another confirmed Realization!" the red-headed technician, Reika, loudly announced from the center of the room.

"Ruki!"

"_I heard that, Katou. Where is it?"_

Onodera Megumi answered that question even without being cued.

"A hundred and forty meters east from here!"

"Eh?" Juri uttered. "Isn't the Keio Plaza in that direction?"

"_We don't see anything from here." _The clear voice of Lee Jenrya replaced Ruki's in Juri's right ear and the room's speaker system. SaintGalgomon was on the building's heliport, so he had a vantage view of the entirety of Shinjuku Ward. _"There are no signs of additional Realizations here—aw CRAP!"_

Juri did not even need to ask. A frighteningly close explosion rocked the entire building and made the power in the room waver for a few moments. The girl in the Hypnos control room did not even pay attention to the fact that those last two words came from more than one person.

"What the…!" Juri shrieked. "Lee-kun!"

"_I saw it!" _Ruki spoke instead. _"It came from the sky! It's attacking from over the clouds!"_

"Damage report, now!" Yamaki howled.

More information came from the Tamer-Digimon pair on the heliport.

"_It hit Kumano Shrine!"_ Jenrya announced. _"Did you hear me! It hit Kumano Shrine! Send the rescue teams over there right now!"_

"We're on it," Yamaki responded with far less urgency in his voice than he actually felt. "Deal with whatever did that before it kills us all!"

"_On my way!" _Ruki announced. _"I'd recognize that beam attack anywhere! I didn't know that bastard could fly! I have a score to settle with him!"_

"Alright," Juri agreed with Ruki's change of plans.

"_In that case," _Akiyama Ryo made act of presence. _"I'll tackle the one underground—"_

"No!" Juri immediately retorted. "Please stay with SaintGalgomon! Shao-chan!"

"_Hai~!" _The youngest of the "official" Digimon Tamers—Impmon's partners were not part of the roster—cheerfully announced herself. _"Lee Shiuchon here~!"_

"Please follow my directions to intercept the Digimon traveling underground! We'll be counting on you!"

"_Um! Leave it to us!"_

"Complete power failure in Minato Ward!" A male technician suddenly announced from the edge of the room. "Chuuou is at 80 percent! Chiyoda at sixty-three—ah! We just lost Sumida as well! I repeat, complete power outage in Sumida!"

Juri did not flinch at the sudden attention she got from Yamaki.

"You have to do something about those, Tamers!"

"_Juri-san…"_

"No," the girl insisted. "Lee-kun, I know you're not ready yet, so please hold on a little bit longer."

She moved her gaze to return Yamaki's concealed stare without hesitation.

"I believe in Hirokazu-kun. He said he could do it, so I will trust him."

"Juri."

Many human eyes fell on the one Digimon in the room who had stayed silent since the very beginning of the crisis.

"Those Chrysalimon are not only draining the city's power," Impmon explaine as he stepped forward. "They're using the power lines to break down all digital equipment and absorb all kinds of data."

The small demon Digimon looked up at the diagram showing the extent of the damage to the twenty-three special wards of Tokyo. Six whole wards—Shinagawa, Minata, Koutou, Edogawa, Katsushika and Sumida—were already completely lost.

"If those things merge into **Armagemon**, it will be a disaster far worse than D-Reaper."

"I know," Juri admitted. Her expression was unflinching, even in the face of disasters coming from every direction. "But I still choose to believe."

She nodded to herself before turning her eyes to the large screens presenting the development of the crisis in real-time.

"We **can **do this."

Against the threats from the Dark Area, the Digimon Tamers fought valiantly and unhesitatingly.

To protect the world that boy sacrificed himself for.

* * *

SaintGalgomon stood on the Metropolitan Government Building's heliport. He was not alone; Justimon stood with arms cross in front of his chest some distance away. However, the huge Machine Digimon was the one with a mission.

Jenrya had always known that SaintGalgomon was not a Digimon for urban warfare. Its destructive power was simply too reckless and risked unacceptable collateral damage. That day, for example, he could have easily unleashed his _**Burst Shot **_to eradicate the swarm of Chrysalimon flooding the streets. However, if he did do that, he would probably take out half of Tokyo with them.

Juri's idea was simple. She called it "aiming".

The original _**Burst Shot**_ was like carpet bombing. However, was it not possible for him to calculate the trajectory and destination of every single shot before unleashing the barrage?

The answer turned out to be "yes". It is possible. It only takes time.

"Not yet…" the boy muttered to himself within the enveloping warmth of SaintGalgomon's core. The Chrysalimon were small but did not move much, preferring to lump around the power lines to feed off them like babies suckling on their mother's teats.

However, the Chrysalimon were Hirokazu's duty. SaintGalgomon would only fire if Ruki's classmate failed. After all, there was no guarantee this "targeting" thing would actually work.

Juri trusted the boy. Jenrya wanted to trust as well, but…it was hard.

"_Don't worry," _the former-Tamer-turned-Tamer-again had said to ease him. _"Hirokazu-kun has the best motivation to succeed."_

"Don't we all…?"

"Jen…?"

"Ah, no…it's nothing," the boy spoke a bit louder, having drawn his partner's attention.

"I hope we can wrap things up here soon," Terriermon commented. "I was in the middle of updating my blog, you know."

Even without him, Lee Jenrya and Terriermon would fight.

To protect the whole world from the pain he took upon himself.

* * *

"_Ruki, I'm really sorry; we can't even send satellite images—"_

"It's okay, Katou; it's BelialVamdemon," Ruki interrupted. She had a rather unsettling grin on her face. "I feel it in my guts."

"_Do you need support? I could have SaintGal—"_

"No." A second interruption. "Stick to your plan. It's a good plan. I'll take care of things here; you look after everyone down there."

"_Ah…um. Thank you."_

It was a strange yet somehow natural turn of events, how Katou Juri became their unofficial "leader" after **that day. **She simply knew more: about the Game, about the Dark Area and the enemies they would face.

Juri was not Takato, and she intended to keep the secrets to a minimum. From her, they learned of the Seven Great Demon Lords. Normally, they would be imprisoned in the Dark Area of the Digital World, but they had somehow found a way into the material world by attaching themselves to "suitable hosts." They learned that these seven Digimon were amongst the most powerful Ultimates, and their leader, Lucemon Falldown Mode, possessed power which far surpassed that of "ordinary" Ultimates. Furthermore, they possessed the fearsome "Crests of Deadly Sins," which gave them further unique and dangerous abilities.

The Seven Great Demon Lords were playing a "Game." The objective of the Game was to kill Matsuda Takato. The prize was the incredible power in Takato's data. It was this power which allowed Takato to fight beyond what their card-based enhancement allowed Jenrya and Ruki to do. The Game had started at the beginning of the school term, but Juri claimed that Takato had caught the attention of Lucemon long before that day.

Juri explained to them that she had been possessed by Leviamon of Envy. However, Takato had defeated it, released her from its invasion, claimed its Crest of Envy for himself, and used Leviamon's remaining data to create a Digi-Egg.

There were things Juri could not answer; things only Takato knew. There were also things Juri chose not to reveal, like **Hegemon's Sovereignty **and **The Black Covenant**. However, Juri did not hesitate to voice her thoughts.

She hypothesized that, just like she was a suitable host for Leviamon of Envy, Takato would be the ideal host for Lucemon of Pride. However, the power that contained the greatest of the Demon Lords was stronger than that which contained the others, and thus it could not be overcome in the same way they had done so. Unfortunately, Juri did not know what conditions had to be fulfilled for Lucemon to take over Takato's body.

Ruki did not know everything. She was not really interested in knowing everything.

That was the 'fight' Takato had been fighting all this time, in secret.

How long had he been involved in that?

Could it be that the same boy who cooked miso soup for her, who allowed himself to be dragged to the arcades when she felt like loosening up a little, who even went as far as to cross-dress only to pull pranks on her…could it be that, at the same time, that boy was crying in pain and struggling for his life, all by himself?

_"Why not?"_

On Christmas' Eve, he was drawing Lucemon, was he not?

_**"…for as long as I'm alive, Ruki."**_

Those words he said on Valentine's Day…he had truly meant them, in every way. Back then, she had not seen them in their full significance: to Takato, the end of his life was something palpable; a looming threat that could become truth very soon.

But, until that day arrived, he swore to stay by her side.

_"Heh…Ruki, really…never change. Stay like this forever."_

"Stop it…" Ruki whispered within the core of Sakuyamon as she flew towards the stratosphere.

"Ruki…?" her partner inquired, but she was completely ignored.

This time, she could hear it: the dreadful, hated voice which confirmed her suspicions.

"_**Pandemonium Flame!**_"

Two identical cannons of high-temperature radiation merged into one. It was but an instant, but they still failed to devour Sakuyamon. Instead, they clashed against a barrier she conjured; the same barrier that attack had broken through the first time they clashed.

But that would not happen this time.

Matsuda Takato had made sure of it.

Within the translucent spherical barrier, three golden concentric circles appeared along its surface. There were words written between the two larger circles.

'**APO PANTOS KAKODAIMONOS**'.

Hypnos' research had revealed it was Romanized Greek. It meant something like "away every evil spirit."

This was Matsuda Takato's last act in this world. He put the last of his power into a spell to protect his pieces while he was gone.

**A persistent, contingent enhancement spell that increases both offensive and defensive power against 'Fallen Angel', 'Undead' and all 'Dark', 'Devil' and 'Demon'-type Digimon.**

A spell that makes them stronger against exactly the kind of enemies they would be fighting.

"Stop…" Ruki repeated. The barrier was holding without wavering. Type Advantage no longer meant a thing.

With a sorrowful war cry and unshed tears in her eyes, Sakuyamon continued her inexorable advance, undeterred by the high-temperature beam attempting to obliterate her. The barrier stood strong all around her, and the God Man Digimon approached her enemy by speeding her way through the beam itself.

"Stop acting like you need to protect us all!" she cried out, overcome by regret, doubt and a feeling of hollowness she could not name.

"**Stupid Gogglehead!**"

Even without him, Makino Ruki would fight.

For the sake of those peaceful days they once shared.

Even if they were nothing but lies.

* * *

The Sodegaura Power Plant can be found on the other side of Tokyo Bay from the metropolis, on the western coast of Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture. It is an impressive thing; a gas-fired power station with an installed operating capacity of 3600 MW. It stands next to the Anegasaki Power Plant, another 3600 MW monster.

But it was in the first one where Shiota Hirokazu was building his counterattack on the swarm or Chrysalimon striking his city through the gigantic power network. If the Chrysalimon were using the power network to tap into all connected electronic devices, they would then use the same network to reach them all without exception. 'A killer indigestion', he had called it, and everybody had groaned.

Merely meters away, confused and scared plant workers quietly watched him at work.

Of course, at the moment he was not 'just' Shiota Hirokazu.

**LEVEL: 888 SYSTEM: BEATRICE CODE: DREAMS**

**CAUTION! PARADISE LEVEL 9**

Those were the words he could read, circling him around the warm comfort of HiAndromon's kernel. One of the Wild Bunch, Daisy he believed, had immediately identified the reference to Dante's _**La Divina Commedia**_, the greatest work of Italian literature. According to her, Beatrice was the author's ideal woman, as well as his guide through the numerous stations of Hell, Purgatory and Paradise (this was wrong, by the way—that infuriating sister of Takato's had corrected the programmer). At the end of the tale, Beatrice becomes one with the rose representing the immense love of God, and Dante is led by Saint Bernard to meet with the Creator Himself.

In the tale, God is represented by three concentric circles, all of them equally large and 'occupying the same space'. It made an interesting contrast with the three concentric circles of different sizes in Takato's Crest of Dreams. Daisy then suggested it could mean 'the power of a False God'. Babel had called it an 'incomplete _**Seder Hishtalshelus**_', but nobody really got that one, except apparently Shibumi, who claimed to be surprised to find out Babel was Jewish. Babel denied it, though, furthering the confusion of everybody else.

Hirokazu watched the floating letters around him while his partner handled the bulk of the work. They appeared on his Digivice whenever he initiated the evolution process as well. Al those who had been present on **that day** had received the gift of 'protection' from Takato in his last conscious breaths. Hirokazu had received an additional gift; the one thing he had wished for the most.

Finally, at long last, he could truly and proudly stand on the front lines.

"Not like this…" he whispered miserably.

He had refused to see Takato in the hospital. After watching his agony and how he 'broke' before their eyes, it was too much. Ruki called him coward, and he did not disagree.

He could not bear the idea of looking at the broken form of his friend a second time.

He could not bear the thought of **that **being the price for his new power to evolve to the Ultimate level.

Shiota Hirokazu had always wished to become one with his partner, but never like this.

Regardless, Shiota Hirokazu still fought, even without that boy.

Making full use of the power he received from that boy who cannot fight anymore.

* * *

"I thought the smell would be worse…" Lee Shiuchon pondered under the dim underground lights.

Lopmon chuckled quietly. "Shao, we're not in a sewer…whoa."

It was not a sewer, indeed.

The small duo watched in awe as the admittedly-already-huge waterway gave way to the biggest enclosed space either of them had ever been into. The largest pillars of reinforced concrete she had ever seen—though admittedly she had never really seen many of those—supported the weight of the colossal chamber and the ground over it.

Between the columns, something—no, a collection of somethings—slithered with the quietness of a predator, its full form partially concealed by the poor illumination.

A terrifying hissing sound echoed throughout the chamber, making the true nature of the digital invader awfully obvious.

"Shao…" Lopmon muttered warily.

"Uhh…" the girl willed herself to stop trembling. She did not like snakes very much. "No holding back, huh?"

As if in response to the young Tamer's intent, the patient slithering abruptly changed into a blur of motion, unreasonably fast for something so large. Merely a moment later, a huge silver and scaled head was looming over the two; its gleaming yellow eyes looking down upon them with blatantly obvious hunger.

The girl's pink Digivice finished the joke by beeping and announcing its recognition of the threat.

**OROCHIMON**

**Demon Dragon**

**Perfect Level**

**Virus Type**

**Attacks: **_**Ame no Murakumo, Sake Breath**_

It said.

"Aah…ahaha…haha…" Shiuchon laughed nervously as she sweatdropped. "Umm…hi?"

The giant snake head inched back a bit before ramming the place where the girl and her Lopmon stood.

The impact, however, was blocked by a beautiful burst of golden radiance.

**LEVEL: 888 SYSTEM: BEATRICE CODE: DREAMS**

**CAUTION! PARADISE LEVEL 9**

The concentric circles of the Crest of Dreams grew larger and larger beyond the spot where Shiuchon had been standing, and their light elicited a howl from all eight heads of the Demon Dragon Digimon.

**MATRIX EVOLUTION**

"Lopmon, evolve to…!"

A tall figure, far taller than any human, leapt out of the then-receding light, effortlessly landing on top of the nearest snake head.

"…Cherubimon."

It was the standard Ultimate evolution of Lopmon and one of the Three Great Angel Digimon. Had Takato been able to use the power of the 'Aeon of Horus', then perhaps the fusion of Shiuchon and her partner would have resulted in something completely different. However, his blessing was still deeply entrenched in the 'Aeon of Osiris', which 'limited' the possibilities to the 'standard, existing choices'.

Shiuchon did not know this and, even if she knew, she probably would not understand it. She probably would not care, either.

She was a goddamn Ultimate.

"Hai, hai!" the girl exclaimed gleeful in her new, rabbit-like form. Two white spears of heavenly lightning came into being in her overly large hands. "Would you please nicely line up to be beaten? Pwetty pwease?"

Digimon Tamer Lee Shiuchon enjoyed the thrill of power a little too much.

But even that young girl gave it her all and fought in his absence.

To show her gratitude to that boy who put that gift of power in her hands.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Katou Juri picked the last white piece off the board.

"And with BelialVamdemon's retreat, this is our victory."

She was responded to with effusive clapping.

"Yay! Pachi-pachi-pachi-pachi!"

Juri made an odd expression at the unexpected onomatopoeias.

She had never visited the "former" Game Room, so there was no way for her to know almost everything was different. What once had been an almost-claustrophobic circular kiosk with a gothic-church-of-decadence kind of feeling had for some reason become a more spacious room. Their Game Room was built with a wood lattice patched together with felt—it was a yurt, the traditional portable dwelling used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia.

Her opponent rested comfortably and majestically on a bed of cushions with most ornate embroidery, truly like the queen of an exotic land of fantasy.

"Excellent, Katou Juri!" the Avatar of Lust honestly praised the young teen. "You have really learned how to use your pieces most efficiently!"

Lilithmon grinned naughtily.

"I think you have been most underestimated all these years."

Juri nodded curtly, only barely acknowledging the praise.

"Please do not call them that. They are not my pieces."

The Demon Lord shrugged and relaxed on her bed of exotic cushions.

"Are you even taking this seriously?" the girl remarked somewhat scathingly.

The smiling Digimon raised an eyebrow.

"Do you **want **me to take it seriously?"

It may sound clichéd, but a chill scurried its way down Juri's spine. It was a simple, straight-forward and frighteningly effective reminder of the fundamental difference between Digimon and humans.

"You're the one who's taking things too seriously, Katou," Lilithmon countered. "You need to be aware of your position. We're just stand-ins for onii-sama and Lord Lucemon."

"Onii-sama."

Lilithmon demurely covered her lips with a single hand, as if acknowledging an indiscretion.

"It's not like I don't know whose body you're using."

"Ara, now that's awfully rude," the lusty demoness complained. "Takako-chan and I have reached a most satisfactory agreement. We are of one mind and one soul."

"I highly doubt that," a grimacing Juri responded. Lilithmon shrugged, and the human girl found her eyes drawn to the unnatural bounce of the Digimon's generous breasts.

"Think what you want. So…"

Lilithmon's gaze narrowed and Juri shuddered as she became the target of a chillingly salacious stare.

"Will you leave now or will you stick around for more…physical games?"

"Buh!" A strange sound escaped the outraged and embarrassed girl's lips. "Wha—what are you saying!"

"Why not?" the Demon Lady proposed. "We could call it practice for when we get onii-sama to join us."

Katou Juri was swiftly betrayed by her own mind. Then by her face, which became a beacon of red amidst the cacophony of colors around them.

"Wha—with Takato-ku—no, I…ah, aaaaahhh…"

The Mistress of Darkness laughed heartily at the sight of a pitiful young teenage girl burying her face in her hands with shame.

* * *

"Oh, thank you for the hard work, Katou, Doll."

Kuroyama Takako greeted the two girls the moment they stepped into the hospital room. For obvious reasons—to people in the know—, Takako no longer called Juri "Lizard."

Ruki's nickname was there to stay, though, and it remained unexplained and utterly annoying to the "doll" in question.

It had taken a lot of effort for Ruki not to stomp her way to the Kuroyama mansion and strangle the girl the moment she was told her true identity. Juri had to remind her of what she had been capable of as Leviamon—the fact Ruki and Jenrya survived that day was nothing short of miraculous.

The truth of Ruki's actual death and 'reconstruction' Juri would take with her to the grave if she could help it. She had spent hours and hours hopelessly crying on her bed upon coming face to face with the realization of what Makino Ruki truly was. She could not find it in herself to reveal that secret.

They knew—and Takako had admitted—that Lilithmon is weaker than Leviamon.

"_That does not mean, however, that I could not kill you all if I really wanted to."_

She had said.

"We won. Again," Ruki retorted in as smug a tone as she could muster. Which was very smug.

Takako grinned and nodded, turning her gaze away from the two girls.

"Then you should thank him."

Peacefully, disconnected from the world of strife which surrounded him, the boy slept.

It is the second week of August.

Almost three and a half months have passed since **that day**.

* * *

"Hey, Gogglehead," Ruki said, having taken Takako's seat next to the hospital bed.

"_Very well! I am kind, so I will give you your privacy, doll. Serve him properly!"_

"Your sister is incredibly annoying," the redhead muttered between gritted teeth. "It's like she's trying to outdo herself every single day."

She had utterly hated the first six weeks. Back then, Takako had been in another room; a special division of the ICU where he was kept isolated. Only family was allowed to go inside, so Ruki could only see him from behind a tiny, round panel of glass.

She had only seen that many machines in the Hypnos control room. And all those wires, probes and tubes coming out of those machines to invade his body…

The first time she saw that, she had to quickly excuse herself and dash to the toilet. Her stomach, somewhat fortunately, was empty.

She had heard the doctors and stolen peeks at the medical reports on Yamaki's desk. Back then, all of Takato's vital values had reached impossible lows. The fact his heart still beat and his brain still delivered signals for the organs to work was described in every page as an unexplainable miracle.

It was not a miracle, though. Juri had said it back then.

"_Takato's power has a will of its own. It won't let go of him easily."_

The Crest of Dreams.

Ruki remembered the Crests: they were a plot point in the Digimon animated series, and there had been a series of commemorative trading cards involving them at one point. But this…this went beyond anything those Crests had been capable of doing…which was admittedly not much.

It had been months since then. The machines were gone, and Takato rested placidly on a comfortable, pristine bed. Only a single catheter provided him with valuable nutrients which, the doctors said, his body metabolized at an inhuman pace. It seemed that Takato's powers, automatic as they were, still were working at a frantic pace and claiming all of his energy.

The body of Matsuda Takato had long stabilized: all damage had been repaired, and all numbers were within normal ranges. The truth was that **nobody knew why Takato had not awakened yet.**

"You're taking your sweet time, aren't you, Gogglehead?"

Even if the doctors said Takato had 'recovered', it just did not seem like that to her. He looked thin, almost famished, with sunken cheekbones and pale skin that received little sunlight.

Matsuda Takato was like a sun. How could this…vestige, this flickering candle, be called a 'healthy' Takato?

"Not that we're having problems here," Ruki pointed out in a dismissing tone. "Everything's alright here. We won again today, no biggie."

A pause.

"But I swear, next time BelialVamdemon shows up I'm taking him down, the bastard."

Ruki stared at the unmoving form, only his chest rising and falling with a slow and steady pace. She allowed her crossed arms to rest on the edge of the bed and her head to fall on them, turned right so she could look at Takato's face.

"…stupid Gogglehead," she whispered, her throat suddenly painful. "Stupid, stupid, imbecile, retarded Gogglehead."

It had taken a lot of thinking and analyzing to realize the full significance of the thing Katou Juri had taught them.

Lucemon.

Demon Lords.

The 'Game'.

"Damn it, Takato, how long has it been!" she whispered in utmost complaint. "How long have you been hiding this stuff!"

How long had he been fighting? How long had he been hiding such a thing from everyone?

"You're my best friend…"

Her best human friend, yes. Her bond with Renamon was something special and unique that she found hesitant to label merely as friendship.

Just what was she to Takato?

What did he think on those days when they joked together, teased each other and hung out at the arcade?

What was really in his mind on those days he cross-dressed to mess with her, and on the nights he stayed over at her place and watched her win Digimon card matches online?

On all those days…was he even looking at her?

"Just what…what was in your eyes?"

She remembered, she clearly remembered, that Christmas Eve.

He was drawing Lucemon.

"_Why not?"_

Just how many emotions must have swirled in his chest as he said those words?

But the unconscious boy would not answer. And Ruki could not stop the guilt eating away at her heart.

She knew it was unreasonable, but she believed that, as her friend, she should have noticed something. She should have seen the pain and the sadness in his eyes. She should have prodded further; she should have tried harder to learn her friend's secrets, the things he would not share with anyone.

"Stupid Gogglehead, wake up soon," Ruki concluded with a hint of venom in her voice. "And don't think I'll let you stay quiet after this."

* * *

At one point, the bleak shades of gray that make the Dark Area give way to a thing of beauty.

The hard, dark soil becomes grainy sand clear as glass, and the monotone grey sky becomes a cleaner shade closer to white, tinged with streams of violet- and red-colored data. Digimon life does not exist in this realm, and the flora becomes completely inorganic. Forests of crystal surge out of the glass desert, and their irregular shapes create wondrous displays of color like auroras in the sky as they refract the dismal lights of the Digital underworld.

In the center of this kingdom of wonder stands a castle of violet crystal.

Colossal shards of glowing stone jut out of the land like tumors, arranged in no regular or logical sense. The castle itself is a crystal underground complex; the massive pile of shards nothing but an outrageous landmark for the entrance.

To this castle, few can enter uninvited, and none can enter unnoticed.

Kuzuhamon was a member of _**Sororité Salace**_ but, long before she swore loyalty to Lilithmon, she had belonged to the lord of this castle and his unbreakable charm. Landing by the base of the gigantic geode-like structure, the wicked shaman stepped into the underworld's underworld.

With walls, ceilings and floors of crystal, natural illumination was not lacking. The labyrinthine passages she crossed with the confidence only experience can give somebody, even if she knew that, from time to time, the layout of this network of tunnels and rooms changed in unpredictable ways.

It was an odd place; a bizarre refuge not mean for habitation. It was the playground of the lord and only inhabitant of this region of the Dark Area.

Eventually, she made it to the "throne room": the main and largest chamber where the lord of the underground fortress resided and welcomed his sporadic visitors.

Inevitably, Kuzuhamon's eyes were drawn to the new feature standing conspicuously on the very center of the room. She stared at the nine-feet-tall octahedral crystal for a second or two, but she did not try to make anything of it. Besides, it would be very rude and potentially lethal to not address the looming figure at the far end of the chamber.

Walking past the huge and perfectly regular crystal and bow by the base of the pompous staircase that distanced her from the lord of the fortress. No greetings were necessary—no 'milord' or any other title. In this fortress, nobody spoke before the all-powerful lord.

The numbers of Digimon forever imprisoned within the crystalline walls attested to the price of defiance.

"Speak," the huge figure spoke from above; its quadruped bulk casting strange shadows all over the room thanks to the myriad light beams constantly crisscrossing within the crystal walls.

It was the greatest of demon beasts, the Lord of Vampires, **GranDracmon**.

Kuzuhamon spoke without raising her head.

"Lady Lilithmon's latest invasion of the human realm has met with failure. From what she has communicated, she does not seem very bothered by this."

"…understandable," the Vampire Lord admitted. "She is currently residing in the world of humans, is that right?"

"Yes. As per Lord Lucemon's orders, she was able to reach the world of humans by merging with one of them."

GranDracmon already knew this, of course, but it made sense to ask these questions nonetheless.

"And the others?"

"Lord Barbamon has not made further moves after being…castigated. His troops engage in mass combat exercises regularly, however. Lord Belphemon shows no signs of awakening."

"Not that such a thing can ever be foretold. And Demon?"

"Lord Demon is still missing. Lord Barbamon has claimed full command of _**Exercitus Excelsii **_and _**Kakiá Taxiarchía**_."

"Hmph…not wasting time. Not that it will help him much. Anything from Lucemon?"

This was the really important issue. The Leader of the Seven Great Demon Lords was the one creature GranDracmon could not track.

"…after his…retribution upon Lord Barbamon, there have been no further sightings of Lord Lucemon. With the Game on temporary hiatus, it is not known where he might be or what he might be doing."

Kuzuhamon said no more after this, hoping against all hope that this utter lack of information would not result in her destruction.

GranDracmon released a deep sigh.

"…I see. Very well, here are your next orders: you will not return to _**Sororité Salace**_. From this moment onwards, you will stay here and guard the main entrance. Understood?"

Even if the instructions were most unexpected—guard the main entrance against what?—, even if there were several things Kuzuhamon would have wished to ask, she could only nod and voice her assent.

"Yes, sir."

Such was the power of GranDracmon's domination.

"You may leave."

The God Man Digimon stood and turned her back to the Vampire Lord, only to find an unexpected yet expected new guest.

"**Astamon**."

The mercenary prince of the Dark Area grinned, showing twin rows of saw-like white teeth. He made a greeting gesture, but Kuzuhamon paid closer attention to the motion of his machine gun as his swayed his left arm.

"Yo," the Demon Man Digimon saluted with his usual, charming voice. "Seems like we'll be working together from today onwards." He made an exaggerated and overly elegant bow. "Please take care of me."

Kuzuhamon snorted.

She should have known this particular Digimon followed no allegiance. For all she knew he was a double agent.

Secretly hoping GranDracmon would smite him for speaking out of turn, the female Digimon walked past Astamon, once more gazing at the crystal standing in the middle of the room like a monument…or a trophy.

This thing. This thing was the first and most important question she really wished to ask.

Astamon tapped her left arm with a gloved finger. Noting the glint in his ruby eyes, Kuzuhamon followed him out of the lord's chamber.

"So you're interested in him too…?" the Perfect Digimon inquired as soon as he decided they were far enough. "GranDracmon promised me the chance for a rematch if I help him in his new Game."

Kuzuhamon frowned.

"I just…I don't understand—how is he…what is **he** doing there?"

Astamon shook his head and shrugged.

"I have no idea…but I'm sure you know what this means."

Kuzuhamon's frown became more pronounced, but she nodded anyway.

The moment Lucemon learned of this, it would be **war**…and Kuzuhamon then understood that was exactly what GranDracmon desired.

A long time ago, long before Kuzuhamon and Astamon first came into existence, Lucemon and GranDracmon played a Game, and the original and mightiest of fallen angels was the victor. No longer interested in playing with the Vampire Lord, Lucemon never gave GranDracmon the chance for the rematch he very much wished for.

But, under these circumstances, there was no way Lucemon could refuse.

Kuzuhamon could not take the unexplainable image out of her mind. Her thoughts were fixated on the crystal in the middle of GranDracmon's throne room…and in the figure imprisoned within.

It was, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the Avatar of Dreams, **Matsuda Takato**.

"Just…what is going on…?"

Astamon only grinned. As long as it was exciting, nothing else mattered.

* * *

It was a dark place, completely devoid of features. It was no clear ceiling or floor, yet Takato could feel something solid under his feet. He could walk, thus he did.

The former Matsuda Takato would have found this place as unsettling as it was boring. The current Matsuda Takato only stared ahead, uncaring of his surroundings and building no opinion on them.

GranDracmon waited for him in silence, its quadruped bulk resting like an ancient sphinx ready to impart judgment. In front of him, an empty chessboard rested on a short, chalice-shaped table.

"Well then?" the huge Digimon spoke the moment Takato made it to the table.

"I am ready," Takato replied, not bothering to take his eyes off the black and white checkerboard. "We may begin now."

"Good," GranDracmon returned with noticeable satisfaction in his tone. "The pieces, then."

Like that, the board was no longer empty. On one edge stood a single black figure, in the position of the King. It was GranDracmon himself. Aside from the main piece, his half of the game board was covered in a purple mist that rendered GranDracmon's side completely invisible.

Takato stared at the mist for all of two seconds before looking down at his side. Interestingly, unlike in Lucemon's Game Board, Tamers and Digimon were being counted as a single piece. Instead of Makino Ruki and Renamon, he had Sakuyamon. His eyes quickly recognized SaintGalgomon, Justimon, Cherubimon and HiAndromon. There was a smaller figure: Katou Juri, carrying her partner Shakkomon in her arms. There were three new and welcome pieces: Lilithmon, Barbamon and Beelzebumon, while Kitagawa Kenta and MarinAngemon shone by their absence.

The boy's inexpressive eyes fell on his own piece, standing alone as the King. His pieces were already split into groups, representing their different locations. The board looked rather like a game already in progress.

He then looked at the empty space next to his piece's.

"…I'm missing one piece."

The golden concentric circles of the Crest of Dreams spun in his irises as a new white piece came into being in his right hand. GranDracmon recognized it when it was placed on the table and chuckled darkly in reaction.

"You are most amusing, Matsuda Takato. Just how do you intend to control that piece?"

Takato's right index finger fiddled with the Lucemon piece. The boy still did not bother raising his head to look at the looming shape of the Vampire Lord.

"I don't intend to do so. I won't be directly controlling any of my pieces." He allowed himself a vestige of a smile. "Their own choices will be good enough."

The Ultimate Digimon frowned at that.

"…your overconfidence disappoints me, child."

"Overconfidence?" Takato repeated. "No, I merely believe you are a fool, GranDracmon."

He picked the Lucemon piece and grasped it in his right hand once more.

"But let us begin; I'd rather get things moving again." He snorted quietly. "I have another Game running so I'd rather make this quick."

GranDracmon glared at the boy, and the full might of the Crest of Dreams flared to life around him.

"Don't bother; your charm doesn't work on me. I came here of my own volition, and I accept this Game at my whim."

He twirled the Lucemon piece between his finger.

"White gets first move."

* * *

Alone in the seemingly endless expanse of Matsuda Takato's soul, the Avatar of Pride walked placidly. The patches of dead flowers no longer drew his attention. There was no point in further surveying the damage caused by Takato's transformation into Magus Mode.

Matsuda Takato was broken.

The Gardens of Babylon looked like they were eternally caught in the aftermath of an earthquake. Fissures disrupted the lay of the land, and the ground was littered with the remnants of what had once been beautiful expanses of flowers.

But Lucemon's interest was fixated on the one new feature of the gardens he had been completely unable to explain: the beautiful golden moon pasted on the dark sky. No matter how long he walked or how high he flew, the moon remained unchanging and unapproachable. He believed it was some manifestation of the Crest of Dreams, but that did not really tell him much.

Obviously it was some sort of plan from Takato's part, and the fact he could not make anything of it bothered Lucemon substantially. But it was mysteries like these that made the Game interesting, after all.

There were no preparations he needed to do. After all, technically, he could have won the Game any time he wanted by overwhelming Takato's pieces with his own. Even if there was a physical limit to how many Digimon he could send through the Gate of Deadly Sins, numbers were numbers were numbers. Hell, Lilithmon was already there. Even if Magus Mode could definitely beat her, she could probably exterminate the Digimon Tamers before losing to Takato.

So, no, there was not much in the way of strategizing Lucemon needed to do. Besides, everything was going according to plan. If nothing is broken, why fix it?

He was musing on how to welcome Takato upon his return when an utterly arctic gale coursed through the Gardens without prior warning. As his many pristine wings moved to cover his body, Lucemon's eyes became fierce and attentive.

Nothing this unexpected should occur in the sanctuary of Takato's soul.

His eyes sharply scanned his surroundings.

The flowers and the leaves, both the living and the dead ones, were frozen—no, **crystallized**.

As if to confirm the dire suspicion, the world began to shake and huge spikes of violet crystal jutted out of the ground like banners of conquest.

Lucemon knew this power. He could not understand how it could manifest in this place—more like; he could understand but could not see how it could be happening. Regardless, its presence was an unwelcome annoyance.

"Away with you!" the angel growled threateningly, invoking the power of his Crest to counter this invading force…

The moon began to shine.

Lucemon watched the symbol of the Crest of Dreams come to life on the surface of that distant moon, and its presence was enough to shatter the invading forest of crystals. The leftover dust refracted the Crest's golden light creating a wondrous display of sparkles in the night sky.

Knowing Takato could reject GranDracmon's power so easily filled Lucemon with a strong feeling of relief.

Lucemon quickly turned around, aware of a sudden presence standing closely behind him. In an instant, he not only turned his body but placed a considerably distance between himself and whoever it was who dared sneak up on…

"Ta…"

Matsuda Takato greeted his opponent with a placid smile. However, it was not really Takato; his translucent visage betrayed its true nature as a mere projection, even vaguer than everything else in this metaphysical realm.

Lucemon frowned.

"…if you can do something like this then why will you not meet me in person?"

Behind him, the moon with the shining Crest engraved on it began to shine radiantly once more. A ring of golden light appeared behind the phantasmal Takato, and the space enclosed by this light began to ripple and become fuzzy.

Lucemon looked at the false Takato, wordlessly asking for an explanation. The figure remained silent, however, merely staring at the angel with a weak smile.

The space within the ring no longer showed the Gardens behind it. Instead, it showed a murky realm in which hair-thin trails of light painted the darkness with lame tones of gray. It was a strange, mysterious realm different from the Dark Area. Lucemon did not recognize it.

"What is…?"

His eyes switched between the Takato ghost and the strange gate, but the ephemeral figure would give him no answers.

"You…you want me to go in there?"

Finally, a response: the ghost's smile widened a millimeter, and its head tilted up and down almost imperceptibly. Rather than a ghost, it was more of a mindless automaton with pre-programmed responses to specific inputs.

Lucemon was for once completely confused by this sudden turn of events. He could make absolutely no sense of the avalanche of events of the past minute or so. He had kept tabs on GranDracmon's plotting, even if his rule over the Dark Area ended at the very entrance of the Vampire Lord's realm. Just how did that cursed vampire get close enough to Takato to use his charm on him? Just what was Takato up to? What was the meaning of this move? Was it even a move?

Why was he thinking so much about this?

Planting his open right hand on his face, Lucemon laughed darkly at himself.

Wasn't this kind of unknown challenge precisely what he had wished for? Hadn't he demanded Takato to provide him with an interesting challenge?

He was Lucemon! No matter what may come, he would crush it! Nothing would prevent his plans to come into fruition!

Laughing like the arrogant lord he was, Lucemon swiped his right hand over his golden hair.

"Fine!" He declared. "I shall play along, Takato, so you damn better impress me!"

Without hesitation, he walked towards the Gate, only barely sparing a glance towards the false Takato before stepping through.

The translucent effigy smiled brightly with gratitude before dispersing into a cloud of tiny golden lights.

"Hmph," the Avatar of Pride harrumphed while scratching his slightly reddened right cheek with a single finger. "If you can still smile like that, do it in person, idiot."

* * *

GranDracmon's huge shape suddenly leaned closer, as if pulling his face closer to the Game Board could help him make sense of what just happened.

Lucemon's piece had completely disappeared.

It was different from Lilithmon's and GranDracmon's powers to occlude parts of the Board. GranDracmon had clearly seen Lucemon's white piece standing on the Queen's square one moment, and the next it was gone.

The Ultimate Digimon glared at the utterly calm boy standing across the tiny table.

"What did you do, Matsuda Takato!"

Takato's left index idly poked his left cheek, while the arm it was attached to rested on the boy's crossed right arm. The Avatar of Dreams smiled coldly at his utterly flabbergasted opponent.

"I believe…" he began, interrupting the sentence to chuckle. "…that is your job to figure out."

It was a strange feeling: the satisfaction of watching everything flow according to plan.

"Saa," he urged. "Your turn."

His cold eyes glinted with the promise of a challenge.

"Let's see what the Lord of Vampires can do."

* * *

With haste and no hesitation, Matsuda Takato opened his eyes.

He wasted no time identifying his position in time and space. He was in a hospital, and there was a convenient placed clock on the wall to his left stating it was 7:41 PM.

There was not a second to waste.

Not a sound came out of his mouth when he pulled the catheter plugged to his left arm.

"_**ADNI**_."

While he felt he could use his body well enough, it did not change the fact it had been laying on that bed for several months. His muscles were not only weakened by the degradation; they were also atrophied by disuse. Thus magical reinforcement was a must.

After this, he needed to travel, and fast. It would be best if he were back on this bed before Lucemon's made his way through the limbo he had sent him to.

"_**SHU.**_"

By invoking a secret name, the manipulation of air became possible.

His thin figure shot out of the hospital window just in time to escape GranDracmon's imprisonment.

* * *

Makino Ruki was already getting used to night calls. It did not make them any less annoying.

After returning from the hospital, she had taken off her school uniform and changed to casual clothes. The phone ringing caught her on her futon, staring up at the ceiling as if it could provide her with answers or a direction. The device was within reach of her right hand.

"Ruki."

"_Doll."_

The red-aired young girl frowned in obvious annoyance.

"How did you get this number?" Ruki growled right before noticing there was another incoming call, this time from Hypnos.

"_Katou gave it to me,_" Kuroyama Takako coldly responded from the other side of the wireless connection. _"Look outside. You can see the hospital from there, can't you?_"

Ruki was already opening her bedroom's door at 'hospital'.

"Wha…?"

After D-Reaper, it was by far the most overt and overwhelming disruption of the natural order ever since she learned Digimon were real. The Shagghai wormhole had nothing on this.

Crystal.

Beautiful, yet eerie. It scattered the artificial lights of Shinjuku like an angry puppeteer lashing out at his creations, showering the surrounding buildings with wavering, amorphous light shapes like the moon's reflection on a disturbed pond.

It had encased the hospital building Takato was residing in, like a beautiful translucent tomb.

"Taka…"the word ended up stuck in her throat, and her right hand gripped the cell phone a little too hard.

"_If you care for onii-sama at all you will come here; I don't think even I can deal with this on my own."_

"Hmm—wait, what?" Ruki suddenly stared at the device, as if she could look at Takako through it. "Why you talking like you didn't do this?"

"_Because this is not the work of the Great Demon Lords. Now get moving, dolly; it seems we'll be working together for a short while."_

* * *

In the enveloping darkness GranDracmon had picked as a 'Game Room', the Vampire Lord stared at Takato's moving piece.

"Hnn," he murmured. "No matter where you go, there is no escape."

Takato's eyes were burrowed on the board, as more and more pieces of crystal emerged on his side of the battlefield.

While GranDracmon lacked a Crest, he was far from powerless. Like Lucemon's _**Hegemon's Sovereignty **_and Takato's_** The Black Covenant**_, GranDracmon had _**Crystal Avalon**_. Unlike Lucemon's and Takato's "command" powers, GranDracmon's was not 'a power created for the Game'. It was a power he had at all times, which also worked during the Game.

**Within the boundary of his crystalline domain, GranDracmon can create and perceive anything and everything at will. While his perception power is unlimited, his creation power is limited by his intrinsic capacity to fuel the creative effort. Furthermore, the limits to what he can create become more stringent the further from himself he creates them.**

It explains, then, why GranDracmon is not really interested in reclaiming the whole extent of the Dark Area. Within his small domain, he is God. And God needs no armies, for he can mold them from the endless streams of loose data that make the uncharted expanses of the Dark Area.

After spying on Lucemon's Gate of Deadly Sins, it was just a matter of time to reverse-engineer it within his crystal fortress. However, just like Lucemon's Gate, GranDracmon's reproduction was incapable of accepting a Digimon of his magnitude through. Not that he cared for that, though.

Just like Lucemon, GranDracmon could deploy virtually infinite numbers of troops, given enough time and energy. Unlike Lucemon, however, GranDracmon had no interest in an extended Game. He would just overwhelm and win, to force Lucemon to accept the much-desired rematch.

Matsuda Takato—well, the person that had once been Matsuda Takato—was well aware of this. This was not a Game that could be stalled by appealing to GranDracmon's interests, because it was in GranDracmon's best interests to get things done quickly.

Fortunately for Takato, **he did not care in the slightest about this Game, except for its worth as a smokescreen in the Game that really mattered.**

Game Rooms are not fully physical constructions, but they are not fully metaphysical locations, either. **They are made of data, but they can exist in locations not defined in Minkowskian space-time**, like Takato's soul. In the same manner, the 'Takato' and the 'Lucemon' that meet in the Game Room are not the 'real' Takato and Lucemon. The 'real' Takato has just awoken after a long stay in a certain hospital, and the 'real' Lucemon resides in a marvelous gothic castle in the Dark Area.

**The 'players' are merely artificial data projections given form by the original's powers, and they can only 'exist' within the Game Room with the approval of both opponents. Among all currently existing Digimon, living or dead, only MoonMillenniumon (and its evolution) and AncientWisemon have the power to intrude a Game Room uninvited.**

In other words, **at this moment, nobody was allowed inside Takato's and Lucemon's Game Room.**

In other words, **at this moment, nobody could see the movement of pieces on Takato's and Lucemon's Game Board.**

In other words, **as long as this Game with GranDracmon lasted, Lucemon could not remotely keep track of Takato's location and actions.**

For the very first time in the devilish angel's Game of Completion, Matsuda Takato had the initiative.

It would not last long, but he knew exactly what he intended to do in that little time he had.

"My move," he declared.

* * *

She did not waste time in pleasantries.

"Yamaki-san," Katou Juri saluted the man on the other side of the phone connection.

"_We've set the conference call."_

"Thanks."

It was strange how naturally it happened. Before she could tell, she had claimed the reins of the group called 'Digimon Tamers'. Now she was the first Hypnos contacted on a crisis, and the one the rest of the team and even the adults went to for advice and strategy. She guessed it made sense as the replacement 'Player', but she had never seen herself a leader before this.

However, this time she could not reached the Game Room. She had never had difficulties doing that, so she did not know what to try now that her access was suddenly and unexpectedly denied.

It was interesting that the metro lines still worked in spite of the obvious situation. She could see the crystal mega-structure, looming larger and larger as she approached. It was really pretty, and she would have gazed admiringly at it were it not encasing a whole hospital.

"_Katou," _a familiar voice drew her attention back to the mobile phone.

"Ruki," she returned. "On your way there?"

"_Of course. What's the plan?"_

The girl thought it for a second or two. She spared a glance around her—while convenient, it was rather uncomfortable how the rest of the commuters had isolated her by creating a void area between Juri and themselves. Some of them often shot nervous glances at the large pink oyster on her lap.

"The usual. SaintGalgomon should be on standby on the heliport. Justimon, HiAndromon: who makes it first?"

"_That would probably be me," _Ryo responded immediately. He had the advantage of living the closest to Hypnos, while Juri was by far the furthest from the Government Building. She was in fact the only one who could not make it there by foot in a reasonable time; public transport was a necessity for her.

"Alright. Stay with Lee-kun then, please. Everyone else meet two blocks away from the hospital. If there are Digimon in the vicinity, take further distance. Do **not** engage before at least two of you are there! Did you get that?"

"…_sure thing,"_ Ruki replied, sounding somewhat impatient.

"_Roger!" _Ryo and Hirokazu exclaimed almost simultaneously.

"_Understood,"_ Lee Jenrya declared with a steely tone.

"_Yup! Shao too~!"_

"Great."

"_Huh. So, what should I do?"_

An uncomfortable current traveled down her spine. **That **was an unexpected voice.

"Ku-Kuroyama-san?"

"_Umu. The one and only and already killing creepy crystal Digimon—whoa. That makes…thirteen, I think."_

"Kuroyama-san, how…?"

"_Ah, don't mind the details, girl. You must have noticed by now that the Game Room is locked."_

"Ah, yes."

"_Wait, what do you mean 'locked'?" _Jenrya inquired, but was promptly ignored.

"So, Kuroyama-san as well…?"

"_Well, of course. I didn't create the Game Room, I just…remodeled it for our little—fifteen!—interlude. Anyway, the room is locked, so you must realize this has nothing to do with the Game."_

Juri was not sure of how to respond, but Takako relieved her of the task by just speaking some more herself.

"_Look, like it or not, this is one of those 'enemy of my enemy' situations, so I'll be cooperating with you for a while. Beelzebumon is already fighting in his own front, although it almost seems like the enemy was actually seeking him out. Now, get over here, 'cause not even I can get rid of all this crystal by myself…oi, oi, this is getting a little too nasty…!"_

Juri and the other Tamers were startled by sounds of heavy violence. A ceaseless staccato of shattering crystal and things like blades slicing the air resounded close to their ears for several tense seconds.

"_Oi, Tamers!" _Takako suddenly yelled, startling the other youngsters in the conference. _"Drag your asses over here; this thing is jamming my connection with the Dark Area, and I could __**really**__ use some support here!"_

With that, Takako abandoned the conversation, leaving the Tamers with a new feeling of urgency.

* * *

"What the hell's this!" Beelzebumon Blast Mode shouted as his wings drove him upwards, closely chased by strange crystalline copies of himself. He could barely see his Tamers' home as a speck on the distant ground, but he still could not fire in retaliation—no matter how far it was, his bullet could still reach the home place if he shot downwards.

His slumber had been brutally disturbed by the emergence of strange crystal monoliths dotting the small landscape of Ai's and Mako's home's backyard. When the crystals began to morph into Digimon, Impmon knew it was not wise to stay in that place anymore. Fortunately for him, the Digimon-like creatures had chased him instead of staying to harm his Tamers and their parents.

It did not change the fact that he had no idea what was going on. The crystals triggered a vestige of a memory in his muddled mind, something distant and vague from his distant days in the Dark Area, but everything from that time remained ephemeral and indistinguishable.

"Damn it!" the Avatar of Gluttony cursed as he directed the strange clones to a position where he could fire at will. The fake Beelzebumon, while inexpressive and clearly not made of "flesh" like the original, seemed to have a form of intellect of reasoning, at least enough to split apart to attack him from different directions.

"Tch!" the Demon Lord spat before releasing a first volley of shots. He did not know the capabilities of these clones, but if their bullets were as powerful as his, this could prove a very difficult fight—

"_**Seiken Gradalpha.**_"

A beautiful blade of pure whiteness effortlessly pierced through the head of one of the crystal Digimon, reducing their numbers to seven. The impaled creature quickly developed web-like cracks that spread throughout its entire form before it shattered into purple dust that beautifully scattered the moonlight for an instant before it ceased to exist as well.

Beelzebumon was struck by a very strange emotion. Something very deep within him told him he should **fear** that sword. Just what was it, and why did Matsuda Takato know of it?

"Don't absorb their data," the newcomer warned before Beelzebumon could even think of it. "We do not know what kind of code GranDracmon put in there."

"Wha…?"

Matsuda Takato was 'standing' in the open sky with arms crossed and a somewhat bored expression.

"GranDracmon…?"

Takato glanced at the Demon Lord.

"You…don't remember GranDracmon," he stated. "Curious…"

A copy of WarGreymon's Brave Shield interposed itself between Takato and the crystal bullets one of the fake Beelzebumon had decided to shoot at him. The same creature flew to use its claws on Takato, its bullets still bouncing off the large shield.

Takato leaned back, letting himself float upside down. The moment the slashing Beelzebumon flew over Takato's feet, at least a dozen copies of the original Berenjena came into being, completely surrounding the fake.

The simultaneous fire was more than enough to shatter the clone, and Takato calmly returned to an upright position. His attention was not really on the fakes. At the moment, he only cared about the true Demon Lord.

"Beelzebumon."

"**I have come to claim my rightful spoils**."

The words brought a memory from a fierce, yet sorrowful battle. That day, so many things changed…

Beelzebumon clearly remembered that battle. He remembered the rage, the flames, and the vile red dragon of the end of times. He remembered the holy knight, and his decisive victory.

And, of course, he remembered the cryptic words the holy knight whispered so that only he could hear them.

"_That Crest of yours…I'll let you keep it for a bit longer."_

Back then, Beelzebumon did not know who he was, and those words made little sense to him…

The Demon Lord of Gluttony…smiled.

"…took you long enough, stupid Gogglehead."

Takato raised an eyebrow.

* * *

"Wha…what is this thing?" Sakuyamon murmured as she floated in the open sky of Shinjuku, watching at something utterly bizarre and beyond her comprehension.

The hospital and its vicinity had been engulfed within a strange "field". It was different from the usual Digital Field: it was like an abnormally solid and evenly-colored fog, and indecipherable symbols like Nazca figures danced and swirled on the surface of this grayish dome. It was eerie, but it was very hard to take her eyes off the moving shapes.

"What…is that?"

However, just like that, the strange field faded away to nothingness, revealing a calm—and disturbingly underdressed—Kuroyama Takako standing half a block away from the hospital's main gate.

**LEVEL: 666 SYSTEM: ASMODEUS CODE: LUST**

**CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 7**

The Crest of Lust, glowing a sickly green as it slowly turned under Takako's feet, disappeared with a slight burst of green sparkles like fireflies. The short rich girl flicked her long hair flamboyantly to the side, as if making an (obnoxious) statement.

"Took you long enough, doll!" She called out to Sakuyamon, even if, with her back to the Ultimate, there was no way she could have seen her coming. "I had to do everything in the end!"

Indeed, the girl stood alone on the deserted street. The hospital, revealed now that the strange field was gone, remained encased in a tomb of violet crystal.

"What happened here?"

Takako grinned.

"I bet you'd like to know."

It was the main reason Juri did not have the Tamers act directly against Lilithmon: despite having many of Leviamon's memories, which told her Lilithmon was the weakest of the Seven Great Demon Lords, **Leviamon had not the slightest idea what her Crest does.**

The fact that, despite being the weakest, Lilithmon stood confidently among the other Demon Lords, commanded her own army in the Dark Area and acted as Lucemon's confidant, implied the power of her Crest more than made up for her lacking in overall stats.

"Whatever," Ruki dismissed the reply. "More importantly, where the hell are your clothes?"

Takako stood with her right hand planted on her hip while wearing only white lace panties and a same-colored garter belt clipped to matching translucent stockings. It was the kind of risky underwear Ruki's mind would naturally connect with a rich ojou-sama.

The small girl pointed at the ripped, worthless remains of her dress laying on the street.

"They were in the way."

Ruki had many things she could say to that, but she went with something she noticed upon glancing at the discarded clothes.

"…you don't wear a bra," Sakuyamon commented with a certain amount of amusement. This vertically-challenged, physically-immature young girl was supposed to be just a few months younger than Ruki, after all.

"Do you want me to add you to the burnable trash pile, doll?"

That aside, the two females stared at the giant outgrowth of crystal that encased the hospital.

"So," Takako began. "Any ideas? My attacks can barely chip away at that thi—"

"_**Izuna!**_"

The elemental spirit foxes bounced uselessly off the violet crystal and dissipated into non-existence.

Takako flatly stared at the pointless attack.

"…how did you guys stop D-Reaper again?" She asked in a quiet, tired tone, more to herself than to the disappointed Ultimate next to her. "Aaah, right, right, not your own plan."

Sakuyamon growled something unintelligible.

The colossal crystal tomb glowed faintly, and then multiple outgrowths of the stuff, too many to count, began to pop out of the main body like pustules. Even as they expanded like tumors, their shapes changed into many different bodies. Digimon-like bodies.

"And now look at what you have done."

"Do you ever shut up?"

Takako grinned proudly as she opened and closed her hands as if to flex her fingers.

"I was born to be annoying."

* * *

"This is bothersome," the Takato in the "Game Room" muttered to himself as he saw his pieces being swarmed by fake Digimon. He knew GranDracmon was more than capable of overcoming his forces with virtually infinite numbers.

He sharply glanced upwards at the Vampire Lord.

"You're even worse than Barbamon."

If he was insulted by the comparison, the ancient Demon Beast did not show it or voice it.

Truly, unlike Lucemon, he was not interested in stretching his personal entertainment. GranDracmon knew what he wanted, and would strike with overwhelming power until he got it.

Takato examined the situation with an inhumanly calm, unwavering mind. Not even Lilithmon's and Beelzebumon's support would be of much help against an infinite swarm of these things. Furthermore, he was acting under a severe time constrain—it was a matter of time until Lucemon made it out of the boundary.

He sighed. It was not like he was surprised by this development but, to a point, he was somewhat…disappointed by this inelegant game. Yes, was that the feeling? Disappointment?

"GranDracmon," the human (?) player called out. "I am willing to negotiate."

The Vampire Lord smirked nastily.

* * *

"It's…really weird, ya know?" Impmon muttered. "I've changed so much, and I didn't even notice."

The Small Devil Digimon was calmly seated on the roof of his Tamers' single-story residence. The humans had already left the house at his behest, in spite of the children's reluctance to leave him behind.

Impmon dabbled in emotions and memories while seated on a rooftop. Standing next to him, Matsuda Takato almost boringly sniped the crystal Digimon. He would not even allow them to emerge from their crystal "cocoons", spearing their heads with copies of that familiar, frightening light sword he called _**Seiken Gradalpha**_. The boy stood calmly and unmoving, arms crossed across his chest, while swords came into being around him and flew without physical manipulation.

"I…really don't want to fight anymore. Can you believe it?" Impmon chuckled. "Me, Impmon! Just some years ago I was all about being the strongest. Feh!"

There was a certain dark spite in his words, as if he were still embarrassed to admit them.

"I just…I just want to be with them, and I don't want them to fight. They, they shouldn't have to, just because they're Tamers!" Impmon seemed to have problems organizing his words in his mind. "I-I mean, I think what you guys do is great—well, I mean, not you; Guilmon's dead and…ah, but, but, you're still fighting—I mean, you're kicking serious ass right now and…what…"

He sighed.

"I'm a fucking mess…"

Swords flew and destroyed enemies. Impmon vaguely noticed that new crystal spikes were not emerging as quickly as before.

"Anyway, just…just, thank you." The small Digimon said. "For taking this burden from me…from us. And, well…I'm sorry. For turning my back on you guys."

After destroying the copies of Beelzebumon, Takato had done as he had done with Katou Juri three months earlier.

The Crest of Gluttony was now his, and without it, Beelzebumon can no longer exist.

Takato's swords destroyed the last of the fakes, and the remaining crystals, suddenly inert, began to sink into the ground of the courtyard. A thin layer of mist coated the grass, as it was replaced by the visage of an alien realm.

The Digital Gate, GranDracmon's creation, emitted an eerie feeling and an undeniable coldness that made Impmon wished to crawl away from it. The vague memories from his earlier life told him it was a Gate to the Dark Area, but at the same time it was different; it led to a forbidden land; a kingdom where fates far worse than death awaited.

"Impmon."

Takato did not bother looking at the Child Digimon. His eyes were fixated on the Dark Gate and the glimpses of a forest of crystal beyond the fog.

"I have to leave now. Do not tell the Tamers or anybody else of our meeting. Do not tell the Tamers or anybody else that I took the Crest of Gluttony from you. Make up some excuse to avoid fights until I come back. Otherwise assist the Tamers in whatever way you can. Can you do that?"

Impmon did stare at the boy, his white face a semblance of pain and exasperation.

"You…were you even listening to me?"

"I have no interest in irrelevant information," Takato bluntly responded, his voice unwavering in all its cruelty.

Impmon winced, not because he felt particularly insulted. Instead, his face adopted an unusually sad and emphatic expression from him. He could clearly see now, what Matsuda Takato had become.

"You…you just can't **care** anymore, can you?"

This time, Takato did look down at the small Digimon by his feet. The boy's face was a steel mask, its muscles making not even the slightest motion. His eyes, before so full of life and intensity, even when the rest of his body lay exhausted and broken, were now like aged glass mirrors, having lost their luster.

Impmon shook his head in sad disappointment.

"Man, you're gonna make the girls cry."

"Hnn."

Impmon snorted at the meaningless response.

"Takato."

"Yes?" The question mark was barely hearable.

"Was this really what you wanted? To become…" Impmon's facial structure shifted between confusion and disgust. "…this?"

"It was what had to be done," Takato said conclusively. "However…I admit it is inconvenient. My pieces will not follow me like this."

"Your pieces…" Impmon muttered in clear disapproval.

"Measures will be taken to correct this." A pause. "No, 'correct' is not the appropriate word. I do not find this…state of being…a mistake. However, the former Matsuda Takato must be restored."

Impmon's eyes widened.

"You…you can do that?"

"Hmph," Takato made a haughty sound before leaping off the roof tiles.

"**I am Matsuda Takato.** Have I ever failed to accomplish anything I strived for?"

"Well aren't you modest now," Impmon uttered with utmost sarcasm.

"**My Pride gives me strength.**"

With those last words, the boy leapt into the Dark Gate, which closed before Impmon could even consider jumping after Takato, had he ever intended to.

However, those were not really Takato's last words before leaving the world of humans, only the last words Impmon heard.

Before his face fully disappeared as he sank into the Gate, Matsuda Takato allowed himself the vestige of a smile.

"Everything's up to you now, 'partner'."

* * *

Impmon stood back on his feet, but made no further action beyond staring at the space on the backyard where the Gate had lain just moments ago. The place was completely ruined; the ground dotted with ugly holes where the crystal spikes had surged through.

He had lost his Crest; a Crest he did not even remember ever using. However, he felt the weight of its absence.

He felt powerless.

He was powerless.

And then, he realized he did not really care that much anymore.

"Heh," he chuckled. "This world has really made me soft."

Then it happened.

His legs immediately gave in and he fell on his knees like a dead weight; like the Earth's gravity had suddenly doubled.

"Wha…wha…wha...?"

His body shuddered. His lips trembled. His pupils widened and contracted and widened again, completely out of control. Were he human, he would probably have emptied his bowels and coated his body in a sheen of cold sweat.

"Aaah, wha…whaaaa-wa-wa-waa, ah, ah, aaah…"

His mouth blurted out nonsense as he was crushed by the gigantic, magnificence presence that suddenly invaded Shinjuku Ward. Slowly, he turned his body to gaze in awe at the immense pillar of light that surged out of, naturally, that most momentous park where so many things happened.

What is this? **Who is this?**

And why does it feel both nostalgic and terrifying at the same time…?

* * *

"Buh!" Kuroyama Takako gasped; the surprise interrupted the conjuration of her next attack. The Tamers as well had been rendered utterly stunned by the sudden presence that permeated the air and filled the sky with rippling power. The vessel of Lilithmon quickly corrected herself, noting that the fake Digimon that endlessly emerged from the crystal that entombed the hospital were not bothered by the new presence.

"_**Nazar Nail!**_"

The silhouette of a taller, voluptuous female could be seen surrounding the young heiress of Japan's greatest private fortune. The figure outstretched swiped the air in front of her with her monstrous right hand, and the mere shockwaves released by the gesture blew away the crystal figures, melting them as if with acid.

A pillar of light split the sky of Tokyo, and the paralyzed Digimon so far failing at destroying the crystal covering the hospital—Sakuyamon, HiAndromon and Cherubimon—, could only stare lamely at its golden majesty.

"Wha…what the hell…?" HiAndromon uttered in Hirokazu's voice, the hint of fear in it severely contrasting with his cybernetic appearance.

Even Ruki needed a few moments to regain the ability to move her frozen jaw.

"O-Oh, oi! The pervert down there!"

"Yeah?" Takako responded.

"You're supposed to mind being called a pervert, you know!" Ruki mentally kicked herself to bothering to tsukkomi in the current situation. "What the hell is that!"

Takako made a strange, pained expression.

"I…I don't…"

She did not know what to say. She did not know what she was supposed to do. Why did nobody inform her of these things!

_I need you to comfort me, onii-sama…_

* * *

"Realization in progress!" Ootori Reika announced from her high seat in the middle of the main control room of Hypnos.

"I can see that!" Yamaki shouted with no little sarcasm.

It was a lie, actually. He could not see it, but he could **feel it**. The Realization was of such magnitude that he could feel the energy being emitted all the way to their windowless room. The analytic part of him noted they had never made a spectroscopy of the emerging Digital Field at the moment of Realization. That was a dangerous lapse he promised himself he would correct as quickly as he could.

This…this would paralyze the whole Ward, if not the entire city. It was just too powerful for anybody to ignore!

"Did you trace that, Onodera!" he demanded to know.

"No way! There's no way I could have done that!" Onodera Megumi shrieked from her seat behind Reika's. "It was…it was way too sudden! It came out of nowhere!"

"Tch!" Yamaki cursed very loudly, if only in his mind. "Dark Area again…"

"No sir!" Megumi corrected.

Even if they still could do absolutely nothing to prevent Realizations from the Dark Area, after witnessing so many of them they have begun to see patterns in the data recorded by their tracers and passive monitoring devices. Even if they could not prevent them, they could certainly identify them.

"These numbers…the readings are completely different!" Megumi pulled at her blonde hairs in frustration, an emotion she experienced more and more often since April. "I have no idea where this Digimon came from!"

* * *

Sounds.

So many. So rich in variety and quality. No longer defined by discrete frequency peaks, but a continuous spectrum of infinite frequencies he could not fully process.

Colors…not as many as in the Digital World, but definitely many more than in the place he came from. So many colors, so full of vitality. So full of spirit. So full of **existence**.

This world…was not composed of zeros and ones. This was the world of quarks; of atoms and molecules; of proteins and DNA. Even his own body was now directed not by algorithms, but by pseudo-genes and pseudo-proteins.

It felt…heavy, but not in an uncomfortable manner. It felt more…alive, somehow.

What he did not like, though, were the smells. So many of them, all of them repugnant: car smoke, public waste, animal excrement. Even the smell of the concrete mega-structures that reached hopelessly to the sky like Towers of Babel was disgusting to his delicate nostrils.

"Really…" he spoke, his voice soft and feathery; the beautiful soprano voice of a child. "…it's too early for me to be here, Takato."

He was not supposed to be there.

**It was not supposed to be possible**.

Much less in this form.

He closed his eyes, reaching with senses that transcended those of humans and capturing every signature of digital "life" in the city. He unmistakably found them all: Lilithmon with three of the Digimon Tamers; two more of them on top of a nearby building, and the one who had once been Leviamon inside that same building, together with the former Digi-Enthelechy. There was also Impmon in a completely different direction, as well as the Tamers' MarinAngemon.

"…I can't feel you," he whispered. His melodic voice was like a mournful aria, laced with bittersweet longing. "I cannot feel you in this world, Takato."

His mind re-evaluated the latest developments: the crystals invading the ruined gardens, the apparition, the strange portal leading him to that incomprehensible darkness, the sightless road he had fearlessly followed all the way through to that gate of light at its end…

"…I see…" the beautiful creature whispered in elation. "So…so that is the nature of this move, Takato." He chuckled. "Playing hard to get, hmm?"

It was amusing, in a way.

"Very well, Takato!" Lucemon boisterously laughed, at the same time the pillar of light that announced his Realization receded, revealing his glorious presence to the world and the visage of the material world to the fallen angel.

"I shall, for the first and last time, play the role your Crest decided for me!"

He was not doing this for Takato's sake; of course not.

It was a matter of Pride.

"You made the one mistake I will not tolerate, GranDracmon," he muttered darkly, his fierce eyes and chilling voice a promise of horrible retribution. "Nobody…**nobody!**"

"**Nobody takes MY Takato away from ME!**"

The roar of challenge of the Avatar of Pride resounded ominously throughout the metropolis of madness.

* * *

**CHAPTER 01 – END**


	2. City of Controversy

**Disclaimer: **Digimon does not belong to me. That is a good thing.

* * *

_**RUINS OF BABYLON**_

**Chapter 02**

_**The Monster Who Walks in the Shadow of that Boy – City of Controversy**_

* * *

Where he was did not matter.

What he was doing? It did not matter either.

His presence was of such immensity that he could be anywhere in the Digital World. To him, it did not matter.

He only wandered. He had to wander.

It was necessary of him to wander, away from all other Digimon, for his presence was of a magnitude that lesser digital monsters could not hope to handle it. When you gaze upon the pinnacle of power he had achieved, good or evil make no different to the powerless; they are all terrifying monsters capable of obliterating everything.

He was different. He was unique. He was the greatest; both an impossible miracle and the most fearsome of weapons. How a world derived from the wishes and creations of humanity could give birth to an entity like him was a question without answer; an Arcanum better left undisturbed.

While he was not the God of the Digital World, he was also intimately connected with the world that gave birth to him. While his body was well-defined in Minkowskian space-time, his **existence** permeated an expanse far greater than the boundaries of his physical form. It existed and propagated in all directions of time and space, not merely past and future but into alternate dimensions and alternate timelines. While his eyes and ears were restricted to a certain position and moment in Minkowskian space-time, his **senses** could perceive things and events far beyond his actual spatial-temporal location. They projected and recalled information both certain and probable and processed it equally.

Thus, this magnificent, monstrous entity could feel the turmoil shaking, not only the Digital World, but those realms adjacent to it. He could detect the disturbance of the boundary between the Dark Area and the material realm of humans. He could perceive the fluctuations of power as a massive cluster of data transferred itself from one realm to the other. He could even detect the reactionary movement of his fellows in the center of the Digital World and the opposing force that restrained them from pursuing retaliatory actions.

Did the Crests come into being at the same time Yggdrasil assumed command of the Digital World, or do they predate even God? It was a question not worth pursuing, no matter how interesting it may be. In any case, the Crests were not Yggdrasil's creations.

The Crest of Dreams.

It was the nexus that connected everything.

If the spare data and processing budget spared by the human's digital networks were the foundation of the Digital World, then the dreams and emotions of humans were the primordial soup that allowed for the beginning of digital life. Yggdrasil was the great administrator, but it was not the principle.

**Yggdrasil can be God because the Crest of Dreams exists. Without the Crest of Dreams, the Digital World would be frozen in eternal stillness.**

The Crest of Dreams was well known and documented by Yggdrasil, the Akashic Records and the Royal Knights. While it generally allowed Yggdrasil to direct the Digital World as it found proper, it was also capable of independent action.

**It created the Crests of Virtue and Sin, thus allowing for the existence of both Chosen Children and Demon Lords.**

**It pulled the 'Digi-Enthelechy' data created by Shibumi into the primitive Digital World, allowing for the miracle of evolution.**

Its agenda, if it had any, was beyond anybody's comprehension, as its actions often ended up causing only trouble for Yggdrasil and its servants. Dreams permeated the Digital World, acting upon it and its inhabitants seemingly at its whim, granting power and taking it away from Digimon both righteous and vile. It obeyed no law and bowed to no authority. It simply **was**, and acted as it wished.

And then, **it** **created Lucemon.**

While the reason it created the absurdly powerful Child Digimon was obvious in retrospective, it was hard to swallow considering the evils Lucemon unleashed upon the fledging Digital World so long ago. But how could anybody complain or put up a resistance before the very lifeblood of their world, the very power that allowed them all to exist and grow?

No amount of prayer will make the sun shine brighter or become dim. Such was the unreachable, unfathomable nature of the Crest of Dreams.

And then, **Dreams picked a Chosen Child.**

Were Yggdrasil capable of portraying emotions, it would have face-palmed.

The Biggest Dreamer, Matsuda Takato.

Suddenly, a mere human held within himself the absolute creative power. Truly, he had become like a god. It was tolerable at the beginning, when the boy had no awareness of the power he wielded and thus could not use it, but then Lucemon found him.

"_I want to be special."_

The Devil listened to the boy's wish, and offered a vile contract. When the boy resisted, the Devil took away that which was most precious to the boy. If greed would not sway the child, then hatred and pride would.

The grieving boy took the seat of the Player and seized the power of Dreams.

And the Digital World trembled when the primordial Crest shone at its brightest.

Should he have put an end to things back then?

Maybe, but there was little point in dwelling on past choices. He had given Matsuda Takato the benefit of the doubt not once, but twice; the second being less than two years ago, when knight and Dreamer met for the first time.

He remembered; that boy's appearance. That child, he was terrified, broken and defeated; even as his allies succeeded in relieving the world from the unexpected threat of Reichmon, he had succumbed to the might of the second among the Royal Knights. Upon exposure to his immensity for the first time, the pitiful human's mind had almost shattered.

But, even as his body trembled and surrendered before his power, his eyes glowed with the unbreakable will of one who opposes the greatest of evils. His were the eyes of one who wished to live more than anything else. And the golden radiance of the Crest of Dreams flared defiantly, protecting his chosen avatar.

That day, he allowed Matsuda Takato to leave with his life. People complained, but his word is never challenged.

The circumstances had changed, though. Lucemon was free in the world of humans. That was simply unacceptable, and it had to be corrected as soon as possible.

However, he believed in diplomacy. Out of respect for the Chosen of Dreams, he would examine the evidence before imparting judgment.

He was the ultimate deterrent; the owner of the **Siege Perilous** that should never be roused. He was judge, jury and executioner, and the invincible last bastion of the Digital World against calamity.

"It appears…that a second meeting has become necessary, Matsuda Takato."

Where he was did not matter.

What he was doing? It did not matter either.

Alphamon turned back and began the long road back to Yggdrasil and his companions.

Of course, to one such as he, distance is only relative.

* * *

It was then that Lucemon noted he in fact had an audience. The Digital Field had been swallowed by the pillar of power, and thus he was now fully manifested for everybody to see. Those people already in the vicinity when he Realized were now staring in awe, marvel and fear at his pristine, winged form.

"Hmph," Lucemon murmured even as he preened at the attention. He made his many wings tremble slightly, and diminutive motes of light poured out of them like gold dust. It was a parlor trick, but he delighted in the 'oooh's' and 'aaah's' of the children present.

_Pitiful humans. _He thought. _Your life has lost whatever worthless meaning it had, now that you have witnessed Perfection._

Humble, Lucemon is not.

This was a lively city, beautiful in its decadence, he thought. The insistence of Yggdrasil to separate the 'good' from the 'bad' like a moral sieve, and striving for only the 'good' to exist…there was no way he could agree with that. In that way, he rather liked the Crest of Dreams for its utter disinterest for either good or evil. It simply **created**. In the same way, he rather liked humans, filthy primates that they were, for their existence of permanently swaying between good and evil.

"You create rules and then you violate them ceaselessly," he spoke to the confused, yet captivated, audience before him. "You commit unforgivable sins every day, yet you carry on in a relatively stable society. It's admirable in its wickedness."

But he was not there to preach to humans, was he?

"Ah, Takato, Takato…" the angel spoke with affectionate amusement. "I wonder, will this become a debt I can cash in later?"

He knew the location of Lilithmon and the Tamers, or, at least, the general direction and distance.

His thoughts—for it is the prerogative of ancient beings to let their minds wander—went to UlforceV-Dramon of the Royal Knights. That blue knight…he was so proud of his speed…

Lucemon chuckled as he remembered that primordial war. It had been too amusing, to break that proud knight without even needing to evolve from his Child Form.

The Crest of Pride works on events and feats Lucemon could perform without its assistance, decreasing the time necessary to achieve them to the absolute minimum.

Moving from Point A to Point B is most definitely something within the scope of Lucemon's natural capabilities.

**LEVEL: 666 SYSTEM: LUCIFER CODE: PRIDE**

**CAUTION! PURGATORY LEVEL 1**

The Crest of the prideful flared a deep, bloody red, and then he was in front of the hospital, standing in front of a stunned Kuroyama Takako. With his back turned to Takako and the Tamers, Lucemon allowed them to bask in his radiance and the pristine beauty of his immaculate wings.

At Hypnos, the technicians were going insane after Lucemon's feat of teleportation. Jenrya and Ryo had said "screw it" and left Hypnos to assist Ruki. Juri stared down at her Digimon partner. Shakkomon was trembling; perturbed from its seemingly eternal lethargy by something that should not be called a memory. It was an imprint; a natural, reactionary, survival mechanism embedded in his code.

Lucemon turned sideways, the glance out of the corner of his eye roaming down and up Takako's form. Offhandedly, he made a shooing gesture with his left hand. The Crest of Pride flared on the concrete under his feet and the crystal Digimon fakes disappeared without a trace.

"Hmm…you have truly taken a lovely form, Lilithmon."

"Ah?" Takako actually found herself blushing at the praise. "Mi-Milord, I have no words."

The fallen angel chuckled. "Then do not say anything."

Takako's lips trembled as she struggled to find words.

"Lord Lucemon…you…you are really here."

"Yes," Lucemon confirmed. "Takato has done the impossible yet again." His cheeks glowed with childish joy. "You cannot conceive how proud I am of him." A pause. "I'm still smacking his head for his recklessness next time I see him, though."

Finally, his gaze turned to the Tamers. More specifically, on Sakuyamon.

Ruki, she was also frozen in midair by the sudden appearance of the beautiful angel. She remembered him most clearly—was that a vision? A dream? With everything she had learned she did not know anymore.

She remembered meeting him. She remembered the card. She remembered everything Juri had explained to them.

The 'Game Master'.

Takato's 'opponent'.

The one who stands in the center of Takato's nightmarish world.

The 'Final Boss' was standing before them without a care in the world.

"_Ruki…"_ Renamon spoke inside the kernel, as if awaiting instructions.

She wanted to move. She wanted to act, to fight, to defeat that angelic monster and bring back those peaceful days.

But she could not, for she could **feel it**.

_Takato…Takato is supposed to beat this thing…?_

This…magnitude, this immensity, it had not been there when they met in that strange garden. Now that they met in a physical realm, Makino Ruki was for the first time exposed to the greatness that is Lucemon.

"Rejoice, Tamers!" Lucemon saluted them with outstretched arms. "At the behest of our beloved Takato, today I have come to assist you."

Before anybody could ask, he turned his attention to the gigantic crystal tomb that covered the hospital.

"You were having trouble with this thing, I believe."

"Ah," Takako cringed. "I'm terribly sorry, milord, but it would regenerate faster than—"

"I am not scolding you, Lilithmon," Lucemon clarified. "Destructive power has never been your forte. Besides…"

The Child Digimon gestured vaguely towards the crystal megalith, commanding the Crest of Pride to eliminate it. His capability to destroy the crystal with enough applications of _**Grand Cross**_ was acknowledged, and the glowing violet formation was annihilated; not even lingering data was left.

"Umu," Lucemon uttered as he nodded with satisfaction. "So, shall we go check inside—"

A glowing orange blade fell upon Lucemon in a mighty swing.

The attack was stopped effortlessly, easily caught by Lucemon's right hand. A thin leg moved in a flash, striking the owner of that energy sword right in the middle of his torso. For a moment, the Cyborg Digimon was frozen on the spot, the concentric circles of the Crest of Pride radiantly turning around him for that lingering moment until he was blown away like a baseball. He flew at barely subsonic speed until he 'just so happened' to crash into SaintGalgomon two blocks away, who 'just so happened' to have his barrels open and ready to fire. The impact made SaintGalgomon fall on his back, and dozens of rockets were thus fired aimlessly and recklessly.

"Akiyama Ryo. So that's the one who has Millenniumon as partner?" Lucemon snorted. "What a rude, reckless child."

He chuckled in amusement as the incomplete barrage SaintGalgomon unleashed wreaked havoc in the vicinity.

"Ah, ah, look at the mess you've done." He shook his head and made clicking sounds with his tongue. "How you guys make it without Takato is beyond me."

Ruki finally broke through the spell that was Lucemon's very presence when he took the first step towards the hospital.

Lucemon raised an eyebrow when Sakuyamon landed in front of him, standing defiantly with her staff held low and ready to strike.

"What now?"

"What…" Ruki shook her head. Her voice had come out awfully weak.

She was **afraid**.

This Digimon terrified her. She could only wonder how Hirokazu and Shiuchon were faring. And, of course, it had to be the goddamn Ryo who could attack without being affected.

"What…what are **you **doing here!?"

Lucemon glanced up at the sky for a second before looking back at Sakuyamon.

"There is not a short answer to that. But, really, you Tamers need a better grasp on your priorities."

He pointed at the hospital behind her.

"That place," he pointed out. "For all you know, everybody in there is already dead."

Ruki felt her heart being gripped and squeezed by an invisible hand. As annoying as it was, he had a point: what properties did that crystal have? In what ways did it affected those trapped within? Furthermore, asphyxiation was a frightening possibility.

But…

Katou Juri's voice suddenly filled the Tamers' ears.

"_Shao-chan, please stay with Ruki! Everyone else, please check on everybody in the hospital! Ryo-san, please go straight to Takato-kun's room!"_

Ruki sighed in relief. _Thank you, Katou._

"Ye-Yes!" As if pulled out of a dream, the Tamers were released from the haze Lucemon's very presence had swallowed them into, Jenrya and Terriermon ending their combination. When they moved to act upon Juri's commands, the angel smiled in something that could be called approval.

"Hmm. Smart children."

With the Tamers gone, Lucemon and Takako were pinned between Sakuyamon and Cherubimon.

"Now, talk."

Lucemon chuckled at Ruki's rude speech.

"Aren't you a bold little one, little Alraune? It is rather endearing, how you expect me to take you seriously."

He turned his back to Ruki to stare at the distant towers of the Metropolitan Government Building.

"I do not like repeating myself, so, if you truly want to discuss matters, gather your companions and meet me at that place you call Hypnos. It's where you always have your meetings, is it not?"

As if readying them for flight, Lucemon made his wings sway a little.

"Wha—!" Ruki exclaimed when she realized Lucemon intended to leave. "What do you—you're not getting away—!"

Her attempt at grabbing Lucemon was interrupted by the fallen angel's intense glare. Once more, she was paralyzed by his immense presence, this time laced with more than a tinge of dark, harmful intent.

"You **do not** want to do that, Doll of the Dreamer."

Ruki could feel her innards being churned by a painful gripping hand. Her legs, Sakuyamon's legs, trembled uncontrollably and threatened to give out.

"To think you are worthy of laying hands on me…your shamelessness knows no boundary, pitiful fake."

Again, he turned his back to the paralyzed girl. Lopmon's and Shaochung's Ultimate form did not even register in his awareness.

"Wha…fake…?" Ruki muttered and a phrase long forgotten, the rambling of a madwoman, returned to itch in her mind like the prodding of a naughty little wasp.

"_**You are not Makino Ruki."**_

"I have no reason to explain things to a pathetic mongrel, not even worthy of touching my Takato's shadow."

But this was still Makino Ruki, former Digimon Queen, ice cold Tamer. In all her fear, his words still fueled a powerful flame that was her own personal pride.

"What…did you say…?"

Lucemon…he laughed. It was not laughter suitable for his lovely child-like appearance. It was something ugly and wicked, the mocking howl of a naughty devil. Cherubimon took a few steps backs, looking like it wanted to be anywhere but there. Takako also put some distance between herself and her lord, but that was because she wanted a better view of this most rare of shows.

"Do you not know why Takato never mentioned me to you? Why he kept the Game to himself, hiding his burden even from the one he called 'his best friend'?"

Those words, 'best friend', were like a needle stinging Ruki's heart.

No, no, she did not want to hear this from him…!

"It's because you are **worthless**, girl. You and the whole lot of you. Your role ended when D-Reaper was stopped. Against our might, the might of the Great Demon Lords, your feeble powers are meaningless. You pitiful pawns are no longer of use."

"No…"

"He brought your partners back as a last gift for you! He wished for you to move on with your lives, happily immersed in your peaceful delusions! He meant to discard you all along, to fight the battle on his own! He does not need you anymore!"

"Shut up!" Ruki barked back. "Takato's not—"

"Not like that, you say?" A mockingly grinning Lucemon interrupted, staring at Ruki as if she had said something utterly stupid. "So you think you know Takato?"

A flicker of red, and Lucemon was suddenly not in front, but standing right next to her, glancing dismissively at her profile.

"Pitiful girl, humans wear masks all the time. You constantly adjust your behavior to match the social situation, always thinking of your personal benefit."

A second flicker and he had moved to the opposite side, his mocking smirk unfaltering.

"Whether it is to fit in a certain clique, to apply for a certain position, or to attract a member of the opposite gender; you craft the appropriate mask and wear it over your true selves as a means to maximize the profit out of the social experience. You are no exception, Alraune-chan."

He was suddenly standing behind her, his back facing her own.

"You can barely stand Shiota and Kitagawa, but you will not act against them anymore. Now that you have become part of 'the team', you desperately cling to it. You no longer wish to go back to being that cold-hearted bitch from before, do you?"

"It's…it's not like that…"

Lucemon grinned in merry enjoyment, Even with her face partially covered by that golden helmet, her reactions were so clear and refreshing…! The way her body shook in response to her words, it was so amusing!

"And you're trying so hard, oh you pitiful girl! You're trying so hard, to cling to your belief that the Takato you've known is the real Takato! Even if you already know, that was just the mask he masterfully crafted to deal with you!"

The flame regained intensity in Ruki's heart. Sakuyamon quickly turned around to glare at the angelic Digimon.

"Don't…! Don't speak of Takato like that!"

"No, **YOU **don't speak of Takato like that, insect!" Lucemon roared in response, paralyzing Ruki and Cherubimon with the intensity of his anger. "Saying his name so familiarly! So preposterously! A worthless cur like you should just disappear!"

Glaring intensely at her half-covered face, Lucemon took a step forward. Sakuyamon immediately took a step back. Lucemon was much shorter, but Sakuyamon felt she was being stared down nonetheless.

"You think a doll like you can speak of 'friendship'? You think you can actually craft 'bonds' with other people!? With **Takato**? Are you really so deluded as to believe you two were truly friends!?"

Ruki gritted her teeth. His presence terrified her, but…but…she just could not let him speak to her like that!

"Takato is…my…best…"

"**Your best nothing!**" Lucemon roared. In the distance, the Tamers that had hurried to the hospital rushed back outside, alarmed by the sudden loudness of Sakuyamon's and Lucemon's exchange.

"It was never about friendship! You only wished to believe you had a bond with him, and he only cared about the peace of mind he gained by being with you! It was merely pathetic selfishness that drew you to each other! Nothing but licking each other's wounds!"

"We're not…!" _Like that…_

The Crest of Pride flared brilliantly, and Ruki gasped when she felt an alien force pulling inside her body.

"Wha…what is this…!?" She cried out as the invisible force became gradually painful…

"Tch!" Lucemon spat when the crimson of his Crest was suddenly consumed by golden radiance.

Three concentric circles had appeared under Ruki's feet, the three surrounding by two more circles with the invocation "**APO PANTOS KAKODAIMONOS**" written in letters of light between them. A sound like glass breaking marked the dispelling of Lucemon's Crest and the fadeout of the strange power that tried to bring harm to Makino Ruki.

Sakuyamon felt on her hands and knees, panting heavily as she was released from that terrible power.

"Wha…ugh…eh?"

The interrogation came upon glancing up at Lucemon, for he wore, by far, the most child-like expression he had shown since his appearance. He was still glaring at her, but he was also biting his lower lip, and his eyes glimmered with something resembling…disappointment? Scorn? Betrayal? **Jealousy?**

Then he spoke. Very quietly, and only Sakuyamon managed to catch it.

"…stupid Takato."

Ruki had no time to ponder the sheer cuteness—because 'cute' was the only way she could call that tone of voice—when Lucemon's hands seized her head and gripped it so that she would fix her gaze on his furious eyes.

"Let me make this clear, Makino."

"You know **nothing**. You **are **nothing. And Takato does not care about you; he has never done so."

His face drew closer. Justimon and HiAndromon saw this as a terrible threat and moved to separate them, but a new activation of the Crest of Pride blew them both away as if they had been struck in their chests by a powerful fist.

"He only cares about the Game now."

He moved even closer, entirely filling Sakuyamon's field of view. He licked his lips in a way that made Ruki shudder for some reason.

"He only cares about **me **now."

His face further inched towards hers until their noses were but a millimeter apart. She could not see his wicked, somewhat salacious grin, but she could most definitely **feel **it.

"Takato. Is. **MINE**."

A halo of red surrounded Lucemon; the light of his Crest activated one last time, and Sakuyamon then found herself released from the terrible vice-like grip.

Lucemon was gone.

* * *

From the height of his throne in the crystalline depths of his realm, GranDracmon looked down at the human figure encased in a violet prism.

The one he had caught two weeks ago was merely a projection; a digital extension of an inert body. Takato had easily reproduced what Shibumi had done in the past. GranDracmon found him snooping around in the outer edges of his territory. It had been obvious that it was exactly what Takato wanted, but the Vampire Lord was not one to throw away such chances.

An avatar was worthless to him. To lure Lucemon, he needed the real thing. The two weeks he needed to reproduce Lucemon's Gate of Deadly Sins.

He could not dominate Matsuda Takato. His mind was a mental fortress; the Crest of Dreams an invincible guardian. Even if his body was at its weakest, Takato's brain remained active and extremely focused.

This boy had plans, and GranDracmon had no way to get them out of him.

Torture?

His body would break down right away, and then he would have nothing.

He could only lock him in a prison of crystal. Even now, that the avatar had been replaced by the real thing, the boy's encased form that should be harmless felt like a wordless challenge in the very center of his throne room.

What should have been a crystalline souvenir felt like a sword of Damocles.

Lucemon already knew what happened. It was just a matter of waiting for his arrival. Preparations had to be made, though.

Meanwhile, the boy remained in his beautiful prison, undaunted and unperturbed. He, too, waited. And while he waited, he worked hard.

The Alternate Path that he had made possible also carried the possibility for an indisputable victory.

* * *

In Yamaki's words, Lucemon had appeared instantaneously. That was what he told the Tamers. The angel Digimon had emerged unannounced in the middle of the Hypnos Control Room, placidly and almost boringly examining his surroundings. Why should human machinery impress the greatest of Angel Digimon?

The humans in the room had been rendered utterly frozen; stunned into silence by the sudden presence of that magnificent, terrifying being.

"This place is worthless to me," he had declared after several seconds of silence. "I cannot even feel his presence here."

Lucemon had walked away this time instead of relying on his apparent teleportation powers. The security cameras revealed that he had made his way to the meeting room where Yamaki and the Tamers often gathered. They found him there, his hand stroking the synthetic leather-like surface of one of the chairs with admittedly odd interest. He had obviously noticed their approach; once the first of them, Ruki, walked into the room, the angelic Digimon chuckled and claimed the seat he had been studying.

Everybody would realize this in the course of the afternoon, but Jenrya was the first to figure out that it was the same seat Takato had used on that meeting after the first attack on the first day of school.

Lucemon quietly wondered if the others had even noticed Kuroyama Takako had followed them all the way there.

Makino Ruki would not wait for Yamaki or their unofficial leader, Katou Juri, to initiate the proceedings.

"Alright, let's make this clear once and for all," she barked out. "What do you want from Takato?"

The angel had assumed they would ask about the crystal, or the fact Takato had disappeared.

"Interesting priorities, Alraune. You are truly an admirably loyal little doll, are you not?"

Ruki released something resembling a groan.

"Just…answer."

The Child Digimon rested his left elbow on the office chair's arm rest, his merry eyes dancing from Tamer to Tamer and from partner to partner. His left cheek fell to rest on his closed left fist; he perfectly looked the role of a bored child-king.

"I have no reason to explain things to pitiful pawns…but I guess I will indulge you this time. Be grateful, children, and never assume Lucemon is anything but generous and magnanimous."

They understood. They understood clearly. Juri had explained the Game to them, after all.

They knew they were Takato's 'pieces', and it was obvious the reference to their status as 'pawns' made them uncomfortable.

Of course, Katou Juri does not know of Hegemon's Sovereignty and The Black Covenant.

Lucemon chuckled at the sight of a quietly furious Makino Ruki seated across the table.

"Very well," the angel continued. "What I want from Takato, you ask?" A pause. "I will put it this way."

His smirk became so naughty Jenrya considered covering his sister's eyes.

"If I were a woman, I would bestow upon him a bounty of copulation feats that would rival the gods, and let him lay his head upon my bosom of such impressive majesty—because I would be a woman so hot, no other woman would compare and he would **LOVE ME**—, and we would talk the world away of his immortal adventures between my copulation feats, and greatly feast in his honor."

An eloquent pause to let those words sink in.

"And the harem of willing second-tier women who would have sworn to assist in spreading his seed to the four corners of the Earth would be his protection and comfort as I went forth and spread the word of Matsuda Takato to the masses."

Silence.

The sight his eyes captured, Lucemon knew, would be engraved in his DigiCore as a precious memory that would live through the ages. He would have to share this memory with Takato one of these days.

The sound of a lighter slipping off Yamaki's fingers and falling to the floor.

Katou Juri had sunken her body in her chair, her legs fidgeting and her face dropped and hidden behind her long hair. Lucemon wondered just what was in her mind.

"Lilithmon, it appears I have broken the Tamers," he suggested, her eyes never leaving the fish-out-of-water looks on the young humans' faces.

"They merely cannot appreciate your unique brand of humor, milord," Takako replied. "More importantly, milord: would I be one of those second-tier women allowed to carry onii-sama's seed?"

"Of course, dear."

"Yay!"

The two great lords of the Dark Area calmly waited for the pitiful humans to regain their bearings. Takako even had the time to pull out a nail file from…somewhere, and began to manicure herself. At the sight of the young girl fixing her nails, Lucemon took a good look at his own. Naturally, his were perfect and needed no retouching.

Of all the people he expected to speak first, Lucemon had to admit he never considered Terriermon. It made a lot of sense in retrospective, though.

"…that's so going into the blog."

"Oh, it should," Lucemon replied, offering an amiable smile to Jenrya's partner. "Lilithmon here and I have plenty of those."

The gleam in Terriermon's beady eyes was a cue Lucemon did not really need. With a glance to his fellow Demon Lord, he commanded Takako to put her file away and contribute to the important discussion.

The little girl cleared her throat and spoke while wearing an angelic face.

"Matsuda Takato does not need Twitter. He's already following you."

Lucemon nodded as if approving of the demoness' performance. His turn.

"Matsuda Takato can make female breasts grow by massaging them."

Makino Ruki twitched.

She twitched some more when she noticed Katou Juri glancing down at her chest with something resembling melancholy on her face. Anyone would believe Katou Juri's breasts are large enough for her age, really.

"Chuck Norris can light ants on fire with a magnifying glass, at night. Matsuda Takato can light a magnifying glass on fire with an ant, from outer space."

"Ooh, technical!" Terriermon giddily commented while he took notes…somehow.

"When Matsuda Takato looked in the mirror, the mirror shattered, for no one gets between Matsuda Takato and Matsuda Takato."

An eager Takako offered a new fact not even a second after Lucemon was done with his.

"The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse is an obscure reference to Matsuda Takato's four limbs."

Lucemon's turn.

"If you add Matsuda Takato to your friends list in any social network, all your other friends will instantly disappear. You don't need them anymore."

Takako giggled.

"Practice doesn't make perfect. Matsuda Takato does."

Terriermon chuckled giddily, and Lucemon nodded in approval once more. Makino Ruki looked like she intended to rip her hairs out, which was always a plus in his book. When she spoke, it was in an ominous voice that clearly belied her exasperation.

"Will…you…knock it of alrea—!?"

"Quiet, doll," Lucemon declared without even bothering to look at her. "Now come the Digimon-themed facts. Lilithmon?"

"Umm…ah!" Takako cutely let her right fist fall on her left palm. "It is said that nobody can escape from Alphamon's attack. Alphamon has yet to escape from Matsuda Takato."

"Hmm," Lucemon uttered. "Might be hard to top that one. How about…Matsuda Takato and Alphamon once made a bet. The loser had to become a Royal Knight."

"Pzzt!" Takako made a sound like a buzzer going off. "Not good enough, Lucemon-sama!" Smirking with confidence, she continued her word assault. "When you play the Matsuda Takato card, you win every game within a 144-kilometer radius. Even if it's not the Digimon Card Game."

"Hmm…pretentious little one. Very well," Lucemon retorted, before easing back on his seat and switching the way he crossed his legs. "The reason three Royal Knights still remain unknown is because they're afraid Matsuda Takato will beat them again."

"Oooh, that's a smart one!" Lilithmon squealed, revealing in the sudden competition. "The Royal Knights would all dress as Matsuda Takato for Halloween, but they reserve that honor for Alphamon. Then Takato beats him for his insolence."

"Matsuda Takato can whistle in Digi-Code."

"Ahaha, that doesn't even make sense~" Lilithmon laughed. "It is believed the Seven Great Demon Lords are imprisoned due to the Royal Knights. That's true if by 'Royal Knights', you mean 'Matsuda Takato's stern gaze'."

Lucemon recoiled as if physically hurt.

"Ooh, you want to play **that** game, girl? As you wish." Lucemon's wings wagged behind his back. "'Alphamon' and 'Omegamon' are just petnames for Matsuda Takato's left and right testicles."

"Pffft!" Not only Terriermon, but Hirokazu, Kenta and—much to everyone's shock—Juri as well, burst into unbridled giggling. Ootori Reika joined in upon catching a glance of Yamaki face-palming by the door. Of course Hypnos had been aware of Terriermon's ridiculous blog.

Before Takako could have her turn, however, Lucemon continued his merciless offensive, for no one but Lucemon is allowed to have the last laugh.

"The reason Examon attacks from orbit is because he believes Matsuda Takato cannot reach him all the way up there. He is obviously a delusional fool."

"When Omegamon fights Matsuda Takato, the only future he sees is pain."

"Chrome Digizoid is made of Matsuda Takato's discarded skin cells."

"The 'Warrior Ten' is just a fancy name for Matsuda Takato's fingers."

"Yggdrasil is the 'God' of the Digital World. Matsuda Takato is Yggdrasil's God."

"Matsuda Takato once took a picture of what's inside his pants. Thus was born Leviamon."

"The reason Matsuda Takato never wins at the Digimon Card Game is because Matsuda Takato does not play games."

Lucemon paused, his eyes drifting to Akiyama Ryo for a moment.

"Matsuda Takato once defeated Akiyama Ryo at the Digimon Card Game. His winning move involved a Joker, a 'Get out of Jail Free' Monopoly card, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Card 'Dark Bribe' and a green #4 card from the game UNO."

Lucemon then looked at the ceiling.

"The reason Matsuda Takato allows the Seven Great Demon Lords to escape from the Dark Area is so he can beat them back in there."

Finally, his smirking gaze fell on the poor Tamers, conflicted between screaming in outrage and laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

"…the last fact was killed by Matsuda Takato."

All eyes followed the flight path of the large conference table after it was flipped by Makino Ruki.

Her frustrated scream made the windows of the Metropolitan Government Building vibrate ominously.

* * *

"That was quite amazing, Alraune," Lucemon said with an appreciative voice while Yamaki and the male Tamers finished placing the table back in its proper place and position. "Have you considered a career in standup comedy?"

"Be quiet, angel," Ruki spat back, no longer bothering for manners. She was rarely rude in this particular way, but this Digimon was nothing short of infuriating. "I asked a question."

"Right, right…'what I want from Takato', I believe it was."

The nails of his left hand made an annoying drumming noise on the chair's armrest.

"You…seem to be under the assumption that I want 'something' from Takato." He chuckled and shook his head, in a way that clear said that he was looking down on them all. "What could I possibly want from him?"

A snort.

"Children. Everything Matsuda Takato is, was and will ever be already belongs to me."

"Bullshit." Surprisingly, it was Ryo of all people who uttered that word. Maybe because Lucemon gave him some awkwardly familiar vibes.

"Ahaha, am I perhaps triggering bad memories, Akiyama?" The angel merrily suggested, and he only received a bitter glare in response. "But anyway."

His head resting on his loosely clenched right fist, Lucemon clarified things for the Tamers.

"The Game will continue, with or without you. Takato cannot abandon the Game…no, he would not abandon the Game, even if he **could**. The Game is the only path, both for him as well as for me. We cannot **not** play the Game."

He closed his eyes, yet his face still reflected a strange fondness, as if he were remembering something precious.

"We…there is simply no longer a choice for us. We are far past the point where we could reach an agreement. **Our hands cannot reach Heaven together**."

His eyelids separated once more; intense blue eyes meeting Ruki's serious stare,

"**Takato is mine, children.** This is an **absolute truth**. This Game…is basically formalization; just like the placing of the first stone or the cutting of the red band when raising a new building. A chance for Takato to put up one last bout of resistance before I properly claim him…and a chance for him to grow in power."

He nodded, more to himself than to the audience around him.

"I want…no, **I need Takato to be powerful.** Matsuda Takato, not the 'Chosen of Dreams'."

The Child Digimon concluded his monologue with a fanfare-like drumming of the seat's armrest.

"Well then, we are wasting our time with this discussion. Shall we move on to what really matters right now?"

"Takato's current location," the Avatar of Lust stated, just in case none of the humans in the room could figure it out.

Lucemon did not waste time releasing the facts.

"Takato is currently in the grasp of the Vampire Lord Digimon, GranDracmon." A pause. "Well, that makes it sound like he was kidnapped or something, but it is more likely that Takato went to him of his own volition to stay out of my reach for a while."

"Explain," Mitsuo Yamaki demanded in a firm tone before any of the young Tamers could voice their feelings more recklessly. It was hard not to feel the latent anger in that room; those children…they had many things they wanted to say to this condescending angel Digimon, but that would be pointless in the current circumstances. If Lucemon was willing to clarify things for them at this point, the best option was to gain as much information from him as possible.

"GranDracmon. Ultimate Digimon. Former ruler of the Dark Area before I was locked in there, but he's never been much of a territorial being. He did not seem to particularly care when I took over most of his realm, which makes sense as his abilities work better in a reduced territory."

The Crest of Pride flared to life briefly, just enough for Lucemon to craft a reconstruction of GranDracmon's signature violet crystal. Making it twirl in his left hand, he allowed the artificial lights in the meeting room to be scattered and tinted purple before bathing the audience.

"**Crystal Avalon**. Basically, the power of 'dominion'. Within the perimeter of what he appoints as his 'territory', GranDracmon gains tremendous power. However, the extent of that power decreases in an inverse square relation to distance. Within his throne room, GranDracmon is basically God; his powers roughly comparable to Takato's Crest of Dreams. As for his 'attack' today, I can only guess he has reverse-engineered my Gate of Deadly Sins and temporarily extended his 'territory' to cover the 'land beyond the Gate'."

He handed the crystal to Takako, who disinterestedly examined it before handing it over to Juri to her left. The Tamers would futilely try to find something odd about it, but it was in the end just a purple crystal.

"But that main strength of Crystal Avalon is also its weakness. GranDracmon does not often leave his throne room precisely because it is the center of his territory. He cannot just, let us say, invade Shinjuku and declare it the center of his territory to gain a power boost, at least without relinquishing his dominion over his pretty little corner of the Dark Area. For reasons I will not go into, **GranDracmon will absolutely not do that**. The Death-X phenomenon is as much a problem to him as it is to everybody else, but, really, let's not go there. Aside from that, questions so far?"

The sudden cue caught most people there by surprise. It was hard to deal with such an…amiable enemy. Was that even the right word, amiable?

"Why…" Jenrya took the role of the voice of reason among the young ones, as usual. "…why do you claim Takato went to this Digimon of his own volition?"

Lucemon nodded as if acknowledging Jenrya's cool head.

"Takato's one and only priority is the Game. Everything he does has to be examined within the context of 'a move against Lucemon'. By bringing me here and pitting GranDracmon against me, he is obviously aiming for time: Takato plans to do **something** and, whatever it is, he cannot do it where I can see him."

"You don't seem much bothered by that," Yamaki commented, and Lucemon's smile became all the more charming.

"Why would I? How can I be anything but proud of my precious Takato taking our competition seriously?" Resting both elbows on the armrests, Lucemon clasped his hands together under his chin. "It brings me great joy to know this is as important to him as it is to me." Separating his hands, Lucemon graced them with a somewhat condescending shrug. "Besides, if the Game got boring I would just put an end to it and claim him right away. **It is well within my current power**."

The angel's hands finally rested on the table as he leaned forward on his chair.

"Even if it is what GranDracmon wants, I refuse to let him keep Takato a second longer than absolutely necessary. I will return to the Dark Area and get Takato back, with or without your cooperation, Digimon Tamers."

Pushing the seat backwards, Lucemon stood up.

"But before that, I will take advantage of the fact I'm here to visit a few places. So, if you will excuse me…"

"Wait, what," Ruki cut off the angel's words as she abruptly jumped off her chair and back on her feet. "Where are you going?"

"Sightseeing, doll. I'm going 'sightseeing'," Lucemon stated in a voice that made clear he thought it was a retarded question he had been asked. "It would be stupid of me to suddenly start a rampage in this world."

"The Royal Knights," Renamon pointed out, and the other Digimon outwardly reacted at her meaningful statement.

Lucemon nodded, acknowledging the vulpine Digimon's insight.

"Indeed. It is already strange enough that they did not react to Leviamon's partial manifestation three months ago. Even if 'God's' awareness does not reach as far as this world, it is fundamentally impossible for it to not have noticed my emergence. I must admit I am confused by the fact they are not beating me yet, but I am not one to ignore such an unexpected blessing." His sky blue eyes danced around the meeting room for an instant. "And now it seems your human friends here have questions for you, Renamon. Best of luck with that~"

But he was to be interrupted one more time before departing.

"Lucemon."

He could have just teleported himself away with the Crest of Pride, but the identity of this interloper convinced him to stop.

"Katou Juri."

It was she who had taken over Takato's duties in his absence. She was playing a 'Game' against Lilithmon. Even if it could not be compared to Takato's five years of misery and wordless agony, her very willingness to stand before a Demon Lord in the Game Room was worthy of, if anything, his acknowledgement.

She was not looking at him, though. Her head was kept down, eyes hidden behind her long brown hair, for once not held in a ponytail for whatever reason. Her thin, trembling arms squeezed the unmoving pink shell of her rather inconspicuous partner.

"…we'll defeat you, Lucemon."

The angel made a great effort not to laugh.

"No, you will not. This is not one of those shounen manga where 'the power of friendship' can defeat any opponent and overcome any obstacle. I am superior to you in every possible way, even in this Child level."

He walked around the table until he was watching the skyline of metropolitan Tokyo from the large windows of the meeting room, his back turned to the Tamers, Digimon, Yamaki and Reika.

"The only one who could defeat me is Takato. But you, children?"

He shook his head in utter contempt and dismissal.

"**You are nothing**."

And he was gone.

* * *

The warm water in the bathtub that evening felt particularly soporiferous to Makino Ruki. The evening bath was always a time to settle down and relax one's body before bedtime, but this time she was almost afraid she would fall asleep and drown in there. It would be a rather embarrassing way to die.

It merely showed just how tired she was. She did not envy Yamaki and everybody else at Hypnos: they would be working overnight dealing with the consequences of that day's attack. It would be a difficult next days for them all. It would be difficult for them as long as innocent people kept dying.

Seven.

That was the number of casualties that day. Seven people, all of them aged, ailing patients of the same hospital where Takato had rested for the past months. They had died in their beds; according to Kuroyama Takako's explanation, the crystal had sapped their vitality. How many more would have died had Lucemon not obliterated the gargantuan crystal prison with his Crest of Pride?

Ruki did not want to think about it, but it was hard not to. It was like Takato had said in that ominous speech: the public needed someone to blame and hate for this. However, giving them the name 'GranDracmon' would not ease anyone. To the average citizen, Digimon are distant, alien beings. Nobody can truly understand how they could have come out of computer networks. Furthermore, they are powerful and dangerous, far more so than any ordinary human. Digimon are entities against which the common man cannot retaliate. They might as well blame the kami for all these tragedies.

Ruki stepped out of the bath before she truly fell asleep. Clad in only a bathrobe, the young redhead dried her head with a towel while making her way to the dining room where she expected to find her grandmother. Makino Ruki never failed to say good night to her family before retiring to the privacy of her bedroom.

It would not be that simple that evening. They had a guest.

"Good evening, Alraune," Lucemon amicably greeted the girl the moment she stepped into the room. "I invited myself in; I apologize for bothering you at this late hour."

The girl's eyes glowed with cold fury. She swallowed the saliva in her mouth, and it felt like a lump of iron down her throat. Her blood boiled, and Makino Ruki realized just how much she hated this…monster.

It was no Digimon. Her Renamon was a Digimon. Takato's creation, that bread-munching dinosaur of his, was a Digimon. This angelic figure before her was no Digimon. It was a harbinger of misery; its presence, its pristine appearance and its relaxed poise were the embodiment of everything that was wrong in her life. As long as Lucemon existed, Makino Ruki would never find happiness or even satisfaction in life. This she now clearly understood. He had yet to hurt her or even do anything to her, but she knew. Her **soul** knew.

This creature is evil. Nothing he says or does will ever change that.

She glanced at her family. Both her mother and her grandmother stood in a corner of the room, watching her with uncertainty and a hint of wariness in their eyes. It was kind of silly how all of a sudden they expected her to take the reins of the situation despite being the youngest one, but it was also perfectly understandable. Ruki had shared many details with them, and they knew the name of the enemy this time. They knew this was Lucemon, Takato's enemy and the one responsible for making his life miserable for five whole years already. After the experience with Astamon, Ruki's family was fully aware of just how wicked the most intelligent Digimon can be. And furthermore…

Lucemon's very presence, it was unmistakable. This handsome angel exuded power and charm. His was a fearsome presence—he made their legs tremble, but at the same time many would give their souls to him if he just asked kindly. His beauty could not mask his cruelty; his purity of body could not conceal the tainted soul within. He was the most beautiful and the ugliest as well.

He was truly the greatest angel and the worst of all demons.

And the Makino family understood what it feels to be in the presence of the devil itself.

"Why are you here?"

"Did I not say it earlier, silly girl?" Lucemon placidly responded. "I am sightseeing. This is naturally one of the most important spots in my list."

Ruki frowned, not really getting it until Renamon made things clear for her.

"Ruki, you have to keep in mind: Lucemon's only interest is Matsuda Takato."

The angel nodded in agreement before taking a sip of the green tea Hata Seiko had awkwardly prepared for him. Of course, Lucemon would not bother with things like museums or other tourist attractions.

"Yes, yes, it is as the fox says," he admitted. "I already visited Takato's schools, all of them. Also some of the most memorable places from earlier Game Rounds." His wings trembled somewhat cutely, in tandem with his childish giggles. "So many good memories. I have seen all those places through Takato, but visiting them in person…" A shrug. "It's a nice feeling. It's like I'm even closer to him now."

Ruki seemed disgusted by the Child Digimon's choice of words.

"So," Lucemon said, placing the now empty cup on the table and nodding in thanks at the quite distressed Seiko. "Care to give me the grand tour?"

The 'grand tour' was not grand in the slightest. While large, the Makino residence was rather sparse and plain. Only Rumiko had a vast collection of souvenirs and wardrobe making for a rather colorful bedroom, but Lucemon had little interest in trinkets and clothes. The room that caught the angel's attention the most was, of course, the guest room.

"Ah, yes, yes, here…" He stood in the middle of the room, spreading his arms and wings as if to feel the 'atmosphere' of the small room. The soles of his bare feet gently caressed the tatami mats underneath. "I can feel his presence here. His heart…his soul is in this place."

He spun in the middle of the room to grin at the girl and Digimon standing by the sliding door. At Ruki's behest, her mother and grandmother had left the Tamer-Digimon duo alone with the dangerous guest. They watched from a considerable distance, and they had already contacted Hypnos—a good decision, for the agency's systems proved incapable of tracking Lucemon's wanderings throughout Tokyo.

"You should rejoice, little doll. This place…was definitely precious to that boy."

It was stressful. Ruki would not feel at ease, no matter the situation: if he left her home, he would still be a threat no matter where he went. This feeling of distress; of being in the presence of the final boss yet unable to do anything about it, was utterly uncomfortable and humiliating. Instead of leaving at the end of the tour, however, Lucemon sat down just outside the guest room and gazed at the starless Tokyo sky.

"Girl, **I do not intend to inflict physical harm on you or anybody else in this house tonight.**" The angel patted the wood next to him. "I am in a good mood; please join me for a while."

Hesitatingly, Ruki did so, followed by Renamon. The girl never took her intensely hateful eyes from Lucemon as she did so.

"Oh, scary, scary," the angel placidly commented on the look on Ruki's face. "Boys won't like you with a face like that."

If somebody else said such words to her, she would probably reply with a scathing 'boys don't like me, period', or something like that.

"None of your business."

"…I guess not. Then again, the idea of the likes of you having a…sentimental, partner is hilarious. For so many reasons."

"…why are you here?"

Lucemon sighed.

"Did I not explain this before? I am here because Takato brought me here."

"How?"

The angel released a gasp of exasperation.

"You…are particularly slow today, doll."

"Just answer me," Ruki hissed in a most unfriendly manner.

"The Crest of Dreams, of course. You see, the whole point of imprisoning me in the Dark Area is that I cannot leave it on my own. **That was true before and remains true to this day**. If I could travel to this world at will, do you not think I would have done the moment I was thrown into the Dark Area, so long ago?"

He shrugged.

"Only a power greater than the power that imprisoned me could release me, and there is no power in the Digital World greater than the Crest of Dreams Takato owns."

Ruki looked down at her hands, as if she could read an answer in the lines of her open palms.

"…why? Why would Takato bring you here?"

"It is a playmove, of course. Takato wished to go to the Dark Area, but he knew I would go after him the moment he set foot in there, so he moved me someplace else. He counts on the fact that I will not try anything even if I am free."

"You won't try anything," Ruki repeated, as if finding such words extremely hard to believe.

"Believe it or not, doll, this current form of mine is annoyingly weak. Nothing stops the ones who imprisoned me in the Dark Area from coming over and reduce me to elementary particles."

"The Royal Knights."

"Hmm…so you did follow that trail after all," Lucemon commented with a mild chuckle. "So tell me, doll: what do you know of these Royal Knights?"

Ruki's eyes inevitably fell on Renamon, even if her mind instead drifted away, to the recent past. After Lucemon disappeared to begin his 'sightseeing tour', the Tamers and Yamaki discussed what to make of this development.

It turned out to be a most eye-opening of discussions…

* * *

A heavy silence followed Lucemon's departure. The children looked at each other around the table, as if expecting someone, anyone, to take the lead by saying anything. In a corner of the meeting room, Yamaki was hissing orders through his smartphone.

Thus, it was up to the Digimon to set things back on course.

"…what do you think, Terriermon?"

Everybody looked at Renamon with a modicum of surprise, especially the one being addressed.

"Eh? You're asking me?"

"Yes," Renamon said, her tone clearly expressing how little she liked answering obvious questions. "I am asking for your opinion."

"…hnn." For once, the small Child Digimon took things seriously. "Well, from what little I know of Lucemon, he's the kind of mon that would lie just to annoy us, even if he gets nothing out of it other than the enjoyment of messing with us."

"That's a way to put it," Ryo muttered.

"But…I get the feeling he's not lying this time," Terriermon continued. "I have absolutely no way to prove it; it's just a feeling. But there's something else that's bothering me, ya know?"

"I take it you mean the lack of response from the Digital World," Renamon proposed, and the rabbit-dog nodded.

"Yup," Terriermon agreed, easing his back on his Tamer's torso. "From what I learned in our time in the Digital World, there are countermeasures in case something like this happens. Hell, Lucemon even mentioned them."

"Royal Knights," Lopmon said.

"Yes, that name was brought up several times," Ryo commented. "Who are the Royal Knights?"

"Hoo…"

All eyes went to the 'head' of the table, where Kuroyama Takako smirked at the oldest of the Tamers.

"I expected you of all people to know them, really. I'm almost disappointed this is all the 'Legendary Tamer' amounts to."

"…you're still here," Ruki noted, and Takako smiled innocently.

"Uhh…Lopmon and Renamon have lived in the Digital world longer, so I think I'll defer to them on this one."

"Hmph," Renamon uttered, somehow sounding disapproving with that simple gesture. Lopmon looked up at his rather confused Tamer and smiled comfortingly before taking the lead of the discussion.

"The Royal Knights," he began. "I never met them while I was a Deva. They are supposed to be the last and strongest line of defense for the Digital World. While all other Digimon were spread throughout the different territories fighting D-Reaper, they were supposedly guarding the core, the center were 'God' resides."

"Wait, wait here," Hirokazu unexpectedly intervened. "God? As in, 'the God' God? Like, the Christian God? I mean, Sakuyamon is supposedly a 'God Man' Digimon, but…"

Takako chuckled to herself.

"Ah, yes," Lopmon answered. "The Central Host Unit of the Digital World, **Yggdrasil**. If there is an existence that could be called 'God' in the Digital World, that would be it."

"I thought the Four Holy Beasts were the biggest names in the Digital World," Ruki wondered, and Lopmon nodded.

"That is…because Yggdrasil no longer communicates with the Four Holy Beasts," Lopmon admitted. "I heard there was a time in which they acted in concert, but I do not really know the details…"

"It was the Second Lucemon War, children," Kuroyama Takako explained in a bored tone. "A ridiculously long time ago, there was a fifth Holy Beast: **Huanglongmon**, the Dragon of the Center, and he ruled the Digital World as the enforcer of Yggdrasil's will. The other Four Holy Beasts answered to him, and through him they received Yggdrasil's instructions. But he's not around anymore, so the Holy Beasts have no means to reach Yggdrasil."

"What happened to him?" Jenrya inquired.

"Lord Lucemon happened to him."

There was no reply to that most eloquent of answers.

"Yes," Renamon thus continued. "While there are all sorts of rumors in the Digital World about Yggdrasil and the Royal Knights, very few Digimon can actually claim to have seen them. I…did not put much thought into such rumors, until…"

The humans present showed some confusion when the Digimon began to look at each other with uncertain glances, as if uncomfortable about something.

Renamon eventually sighed.

"I will apologize to Matsuda Takato afterwards."

"Eh?" Ruki uttered as her Digimon partner walked to the forefront of the room opposite to the large polarized glass windows. She stood behind Takako's seat, where she could look at all the present except for the Avatar of Lust.

"Matsuda Takato made us promise we would not share any of this with you," the vulpine Digimon explained. "I never understood his reasons until now, and furthermore I can no longer agree with his request for secrecy. I believe it has become important that you all know this."

The other Digimon present nodded their agreement.

"This is…about what happened when Takato went to the Digital World to bring you back, right?" Jenrya sharply remarked, and Ruki's partner nodded.

"Then I believe this is your cue to leave, Takako-san."

Of all the things that could be thought in response to Juri's sentence, it might be surprising that the most prominent one among the Tamers was "when did she switch to first name basis with Takato's sister?"

The smallish girl laughed merrily.

"Aaah, I was wondering, really. Kudos to you, Kato—no, let's make it 'Juri' from now on." Unbothered by the dismissal, the girl stood up and made her merry way to the room's exit. "Take care, Tamers. Hard times wait ahead."

Waving goodbye with her back turned to the group, the girl who was also Lilithmon gave one last word of advice.

"We are on the same side as long as onii-sama remains in GranDracmon's grasp. You should take advantage of that while you can."

"…we'll decide on how to deal with this 'GranDracmon' issue after we learn everything we can about the situation," Yamaki decided; his voice dispelling the heavy silence that permeated the room after Takako's departure. "Even with Katou's input, there is much we do not know about what is happening in the Digital World or about this 'Dark Area'. Matsuda has kept too much to himself."

Lucemon would have laughed most merrily at that last sentence.

"I…honestly do not know how this might be of help in the context of Lucemon's 'Game'," Renamon admitted. "But I think…"

Noting Renamon was having problems articulating what it was she had in her mind, Lopmon offered his own thoughts.

"I believe we need to…reconcile; yes, that is the right word," he said. "We need to reconcile the Matsuda Takato we all knew from the Matsuda Takato we saw in the Digital World. The Matsuda Takato who fought a war."

"A war?" Juri said worriedly. "Against those Royal Knights?"

Terriermon chuckled.

"Juri, you don't 'make war' with the Royal Knights." A pause. "Just, just let Renamon tell the story. She was the first who met Takato, so…"

All eyes thus moved in the direction of Ruki's partner, who nodded in response to the attention.

"I will ask you to listen attentively; you might see things I have not been able to realize with my limited…perception," Renamon said somewhat humbly. Noting Juri's encouraging smile and Ruki's most attentive and intense stare, the Child Digimon ascertained that she was most definitely doing the right thing, even if it involved breaking a promise.

_They need to know this. We need to understand, Matsuda Takato._

She began her narration.

* * *

**CHAPTER 02 – END**


	3. Mausoleum of Martyrdom

**Disclaimer: **Digimon does not belong to me. That is a good thing. Really.

* * *

_**RUINS OF BABYLON**_

**Chapter 03**

_**Stand Proudly, Boy, in Your Never-ending Sacrifice – Mausoleum of Martyrdom**_

* * *

"_Now then we are passed within the lines of the army, and we are come unto a palace of which every stone is a separate jewel, and is set with millions of moons._

_And this palace is nothing but the body of a woman, proud and delicate, and beyond imagination fair. She is like a child of twelve years old. She has very deep eye-lids, and long lashes. Her eyes are closed, or nearly closed. It is impossible to say anything about her. She is naked; her whole body is covered with fine gold hairs, that are the electric flames that are the spears of mighty and terrible Angels who breast-plates are the scales of her skin. And the hair of her head, that flows down to her feet, is the very light of God himself. Of all the glories beheld by the seer in the Aethyrs, there is not one which is worthy to be compared with her littlest finger-nail. For although he may not partake of the Aethyr, without the ceremonial preparations, even the beholding of this Aethyr from afar is like the partaking of all the former Aethyrs._

_The Seer is lost in wonder, which is peace."_

_Aleister Crowley, "The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Part Two", Appendix, p.143, 1944._

* * *

Silence.

Never had silence felt this disturbing.

GranDracmon, who was accustomed to silence in the vast expanse of his colossal throne room of crystal, suddenly felt unpleasantly disturbed.

He was no longer alone in the room, that is true. Matsuda Takato remained imprisoned in the perfect prism in the center of the room. Nothing had changed—the Vampire Lord had checked and double-checked. The prison was perfect.

It was not that Takato had been very talkative in his time as GranDracmon's "guest", either. There was really no reason for the Ultimate to expect Takato's presence to fill his chamber with sound. The room, really, was a silent as it had always been, save for the faint rhythm of Takato's heartbeat and breathing.

But, then, why did GranDracmon feel so uneasy?

The massive beast watched the figure in the crystal entrapment with a dark gaze.

There was **something** there.

It was not the feeling of a third person in the room. It could not even be called an entity. It was rather more like a "force", a "presence" that filled the room yet remained utterly invisible and undetectable. And it was centered on Matsuda Takato. To GranDracmon, it was a disgusting presence that made him uneasy. It was invisible, yet radiant; anathema to the elegant darkness of his realm.

He was aware, of course, of the Crest of Dreams, Takato's invincible power, supreme in the Digital World. If it decided to act upon its unfathomable will, as it had done since time immemorial, there was absolutely nothing he or anybody in the Digital World could do against it. If there was a truly omnipotent power in their realm of zeroes and ones, it was that primordial Crest. But, it appeared that the Crest of Dreams, when claiming Matsuda Takato as its Chosen, had in fact restrained itself to his command. The Crest responded to Takato's wishes, but only acted individually to protect her Chosen from imminent death. It was the only way he could justify the fact he could in fact imprison Matsuda Takato in a coffin of crystal.

As long as the boy was not harmed, Dreams would not act against him, it seemed.

Yet, GranDracmon could still feel it: infinite, boundless power, filling the room in a wordless threat. Like a watchful mother, it embraced the boy in its invisible radiance.

It was disgusting.

* * *

_It was the most awkward of sights, Rapidmon believed. He stood stern, cool, even imposing. He stood as their leader, the only bastion of confidence against the obsidian tyrant Reichmon. It was because of him that they had made it to this point. Like in the great confrontations in the human Dark Ages, seemingly endless lines of infantry stood together, facing off against the enemy in front of them. Yes, they had become an army, willing to fight and throw away their lives for the sake of freedom._

_And their leader, of all people, was Matsuda Takato. Even worse, the one standing grandiosely at the top of that cliff, watching over "his" soldiers from above was a Demon Lord._

_How ridiculous. A Demon Lord leading an army against a tyrant. Funny, how things turn out. Although he guessed Lopmon did not really enjoy his new Ultimate form. It was not only the issue of becoming friggin' Demon, though. As silly as it sounds, Lopmon would have probably preferred Shiuchon to be his "first", and Rapidmon could absolutely understand that. Takato was a great guy, sure, but a Digimon's bond with his one true Tamer cannot be underestimated._

_It did not change the fact that Lopmon's fusion with Takato was the strongest compared to Kuzuhamon, Raijinmon or BlackSaintGalgomon, however. It was the reason Takato had eagerly requested Lopmon to allow him to merge with him one more time, and the reason Lopmon reluctantly agreed._

_Unnaturally colored lightning raged over their heads. Clouds of black and purple clashed in a vermillion sky. In the distance, Reichmon's ominous obsidian tower loomed like an unholy spire in the center of this apocalyptic scene. It was like something out of a cheesy fantasy movie, Rapidmon thought._

"_It ends today, doesn't it?" Demon spoke. "After this, we can all go home together, Rapidmon."_

_The small greenish Digimon looked up at the cloaked Demon Lord._

"…_it's really, really weird to hear you say those things with that evil voice, ya know."_

"…_please read the mood, Rapidmon."_

"_And you take a look at yourself in a mirror!"_

_Rapidmon and Demon mock-glared at each other for a moment or two before bursting in laughter. It was even more bizarre, hearing Demon laugh. It was throaty and just plain awkward, as if Demon's very anatomy prevented him from laughing properly._

_The Demon Lord spun to turn his back to the armies deployed in the grim wasteland. Instead, he faced the ones who had followed him the longest. The ones he had gone to the Digital World for in the first place._

"_Let's do this, guys. It's been annoying, but we'll soon be done with this. Ruki and the others are waiting."_

_Rapidmon would have raised an eyebrow if he had one._

"'_Ruki and the others'? That's an interesting way to put it," he commented in a suggestive tone._

"_O-O, Only if you have weird ideas in that hopeless head of yours!"_

"_Oh man, I made Demon stammer," Rapidmon declared between snickers, and he was soon joined by Beelzebumon and MarinAngemon. Taomon, on the other side, shook her head at the other's capacity for jokes in the prelude to the final battle. Then again, she should already be used to it._

"_You-you know your orders already, but it doesn't hurt to repeat them," Takato as Demon continued. "Andromon, I want you leading the first line of artillery and provide support to the advancing lines. Taomon, MarinAngemon, you go with the infiltration team and get the gates of that tower open for the rest of us. Beelzebumon, you go straight for their leaders and mess up their formations any way you can. Rapidmon, Cyberdramon, just go crazy."_

"_I can do that, yup!"_

_Cyberdramon agreed with a feral growl that somehow managed to sound giddy._

"_Alright everyone, let's take down that—!"_

_It happened in an instant._

_It filled the surroundings with its heavy presence, enveloped the surprised Digimon with the magnitude of its power, and descended upon their wary forms like a golden star of destruction._

_But Matsuda Takato would not be defeated that easily._

_The golden meteor clashed with a high-pressure shockwave. The two forces clashed for a second before the golden power was repelled, and the shockwave was allowed to disperse in the atmosphere with a resounding howl. Like that, the identity of their sudden attacker was revealed._

"_Waah…" Rapidmon uttered. "And you said I can't read the mood."_

"_Haa…" Takato sighed within the central sphere of Demon's form. "I…guess I kind of expected this," he admitted while wearing a pained smile. "Plans never surviving the battlefield and all that."_

_He was radiant, golden; his armor of sharp edges a dazzling marvel to behold. How could anybody not recognize this Digimon? How could they not feel awe in his presence, for his very form seemed to irradiate magnificent golden light?_

_An unforeseen variable. Away from Lucemon's reach, things should have been simpler. However, the Digital World is vast, and full of all sorts of watchful powers. Life has not been kind to Matsuda Takato, not ever since that fateful day he answered the devil's call._

"_I finally find you, Demon Lord," the Holy Knight Digimon, __**Magnamon**__, spoke. "I have no idea how you made it out of the Dark Area, but your expedition ends here and now."_

"…_so that's what this is about…" Takato muttered to himself. He looked around, and he was bothered by the others' wariness around this newcomer._

"_Oi, Takato…" Rapidmon, the closest to him, whispered frantically. "We're dealing with a Royal Knight here…"_

_Royal Knight._

_Not the first time he heard that term. Lucemon had once kindly given him a short lecture on the many factions in the Digital World. Also, they had once met Omegamon, during that little adventure in Okinawa._

_His heart was beating faster. Magnamon looked powerful. He __**felt **__powerful._

"…_everyone, go. Taomon, lead everyone; tell them to start advancing."_

"_Matsuda…Takato…" Ruki's partner said with a very slight interrogative tone. Demon shook his head._

"_You can defeat Reichmon without me, I know you can. I'll keep this guy out of the way."_

_Taomon deeply inhaled, as if struck by Demon's sentence. Rapidmon was considerably more expressive._

"_Takato, I should tell you right now: the Royal Knights never work alone. Another one's probably watching from a safe—"_

"_Then I'll keep that guy out of the way as well," Takato said decisively. It was the final word of the army's commander. "I said it, didn't I? We end this today."_

_Taomon shook her head and walked closer to the Demon Lord._

"_Your bravery is commendable, but we cannot possibly leave you—"_

_With a mighty flap of his wings, Beelzebumon Blast Mode took to the sky. Magnamon openly glared at his winged form, but did not move from the spot where he, too, hovered in the air._

"_Move it, foxy. You know the kid's right: just because goldie here's shown up doesn't mean we can just give up on Reichmon for today." He pointed at the vast gathering of Digimon at the foot of the cliff. The Digimon who had chosen to follow them and fight for their freedom. "They're waiting, you see?" Then, he pointed at Reichmon's own army, standing like a dark, living strip in front of the obsidian tyrant's tower. "And I don't think those guys will just let us go, now that we've come and stood all challenging like this."_

_Demon nodded at those words, returning Taomon's and Rapidmon's worried faces with the closest thing to a smile the cloaked demon could achieve._

"_Go," he said. Gesturing towards the awaiting battlefield with his head. After a few seconds of tense silence, the two Perfect Digimon acquiesced. Rapidmon was the first to step past Demon._

"…_I really don't know what to make of you anymore, Takato. Stop acting cool, damn it."_

"_Don't die, boy," Taomon muttered as she walked behind Rapidmon. Demon almost snorted at that._

"_That's too dramatic, Taomon."_

_A few seconds later, Demon and Rapidmon were alone at the top of the cliff. Demon nodded, as it acknowledging the Royal Knight's presence once more._

"_It was kind of you to wait. Thank you."_

_It was Magnamon's turn to tilt his head, most likely bothered by words of gratitude from a Demon Lord._

_Then, he disappeared. Or rather, he closed the distance between the two Digimon in an instant, his fist laden with golden power eager to pulverize Demon's face. The Ultimate captured the fist with his right hand, but the energy was still transmitted through his body to the rocky cliff under his feet, which immediately suffered countless fractures that led to its inevitable collapse._

_Demon emerged from the raised cloud of dust unscathed, his body magically levitating high above the lines of Digimon about to engage Reichmon's army._

"_So, no talking and battle right away?" Takato mused. "I can live with that. Sorry you have to deal with this, Lopmon."_

"…I just wish I could share your unusual calmness in this entire situation, Takato-sama."

_Yes, he was too calm. The Takato he (believed) he knew would try to get some answers out the suddenly attacking holy Digimon, at the very least. Lopmon kept expecting a nervous, hesitant, somewhat clumsy Takato; a fish out of water in the maelstrom of strife that is the Digital World. But they had seen none of that ever since they encountered him again, had they?_

"_Ahaha…" Takato laughed somewhat nervously. "If you check a little harder you'd realize my heart's beating really fast right now…wait, we're in the Digital World, how does that work?"_

"**Plasma Shoot!**_"_

"Takato-sama!"

"_Gaaagh, got it, got it!"_

* * *

It was a strange place to be, that palace. Like a Gothic cathedral from the early Renaissance, it was a beautiful thing of gold and jewels and artistic majesty. It was almost obscenely ornate; the walls and columns crowded with shapely carvings of angels and cherubs and nymphs and humans; dancing, hugging, singing and mating. They were made of wood, of bronze, of marble and ivory; of ebony and obsidian. The ceiling was one absurdly long mosaic—an outrageous collage of myths and fairytales. Here, he saw Adam and Eve's banishment from the Garden of Eden. There, he saw Bellerophon slaying the Chimera on the back of the magnificent Pegasus. Further ahead, he saw Týr losing his hand to the maw of Fenrisúlfr, and the radiant Amaterasu stepping out of the Ama no Iwato.

It was a bizarre place, and Takato felt somewhat overwhelmed by the whole thing. He walked along the seemingly endless passage, his steps tracing a straight line on the very middle of the walkway, as if he feared breaking anything should he step too close to either side. It was beautiful, and surreal; a place humans did not belong into, even if it celebrated millennia of human tradition. It was too pure, too pristine, too sublime; everything he was not; everything no person could ever be.

It was a place of **dreams**.

The legends and tales on its walls and ceiling represented the hopes and dreams of humankind. Wishes, ambition and greed intertwined into an exaltation of humanity's boundless desire. It was an oppressive place, Takato thought. It made him realize how truly insignificant he was.

"Please, do not say such words."

At the end of the passageway, where the straight path expanded into a circular chamber; seated formally on the floor of marble and gold, the girl waited for him.

She wore no clothes. She needed no clothes. Her hair like fine threads of mercury hugged her body like a veil of quicksilver. Even without the cover of hair, it would have been impossible to admire the girl's nudity, for her body emitted golden radiance that concealed her form.

She sparkled.

Like golden dust floating in the air around her childlike form, glittering lights surrounded her and added to her surreal presence. It was not the "aura of power" experienced when in the presence of the strongest Digimon, or the vile intent most residents of the Dark Area could emit with varying degrees of intensity, or even the kingly magnificence of Lucemon's presence.

This…girl, she was not "perfect", but, in her presence, Takato could not help but believe that she was the pinnacle of universal achievement. Nothing in this flawed reality could possibly be better than her. More powerful, more intelligent, more perceptive, more beautiful—all superlatives belonged to her; no praise could be spared—no words of admiration would be superfluous if addressed to this unbelievable existence.

"My father and my son. My brother and my lover. My teacher and my student. My master and my slave."

He could not see it, but he could feel her welcoming smile. The entire palace became brighter, for both palace and girl were one and the same.

"My everything. My Takato. You who made this possible," she said, spreading her arms to present both the room of marvels and herself. "My Biggest Dreamer. To call yourself insignificant, you cannot possibly be so blind to your own greatness."

Takato sighed; a concession of defeat. He had always been weak against girls, right?

"…it's good to be here."

The girl's triple irises, concentric circles of gold separated by bands of the deepest black, glinted with a warm glow. Her perfume in the air was like sweet kisses on Takato's skin.

She patted her own lap delicately yet eloquently, tilted her head as she offered an inviting smile.

"Lap pillow~"

* * *

"_And the ring of the horizon above her is a company of glorious Archangels with joined hands, that stand and sing: This is the daughter of BABALON the Beautiful, that she hath borne unto the Father of All. And unto all hath she borne her."_

_Aleister Crowley, "The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Part Two", Appendix, p.143, 1944._

* * *

_Their speed was about the same. Every time they clashed, their physical blows proved futile at harming each other. Magnamon favored flurries of rapid straights, but Demon's outstretched arms acted as an effective wall that made hurried approach dangerous and forward assault difficult, supplemented as it was with occasional streams of flame._

_The Demon Lord responded with ample swipes of his clawed hands, strongly favoring the right. The attacks, while fast and undeniably more powerful than Magnamon's, were also easily readable by the experienced and proficient Royal Knight. His body weaved and swayed away from the wide curves Demon's claws traced in the air. When that did not work, Demon resorted to rapid thrusts of the same hand. The hand flickered and blurred in front of Magnamon's eyes, but he still could follow its movements and evade with the same superhuman speed._

_Lopmon realized that Takato was using his arm like a spear. Thinking back, he had used Kuzuhamon's staff in the same manner, and it made complete and absolute sense. Unfortunately, Demon's arms did not have the reach of Dukemon's Gram._

_Strangely enough, special attacks had not being used after Magnamon's initial __**Plasma Shoot**__. It was been a thoroughly physical exchange of blows, like something out of a Chinese martial arts movie, without the martial arts. Technical prowess had been replaced with raw power and speed._

_Magnamon weaved around a few more spear-like claw thrusts, finally taking a step backwards to avoid the upwards swipe that would have gored through the front half of his head. Just as quickly as he stepped back he stepped forward to retaliate, but Demon's left hand poked out from the space between the outstretched right arm and his face. Magnamon twirled like a ballerina away from the path of the stream of flames released by Demon's left hand and went for a reverse elbow strike to the left side of Demon's head. The arm that had been reaching for the sky quickly bent to the side and Demon's right hand caught the golden knight's elbow. Still, Takato's ears vibrated when the attack connected so close to his head._

_For a moment of heated stillness, the two enemy Digimon glared at each other, their eyes filled only with the image of hostility in the other's expression._

_Demon thrust his left elbow to smash Magnamon's helmeted face. The Royal Knight spun in the opposite direction as before until he was in front of Demon once more. The Demon Lord ducked under the swipe of the armored blue arm that threatened to smack his head, bent his own arms against his body and then thrust them both together at Magnmon's midsection. They bounced off the golden Digimon's leg armor, as Magnamon raised his left leg in the way of the twin strikes._

"_Buh!" Demon grunted in response to the unexpected block, and then a second time when the same leg shot forward and Magnamon's foot met the cloaked Digimon's face. Demon stumbled backwards several steps in the time Magnamon opened his plasma barrels._

_Takato and Lopmon cried together when, without calling an attack name, the Royal Knight released a short burst of golden shots at almost point-blank, followed by rushing forward and planting a textbook haymaker to Demon's left temple. Both his balance and vision hampered by the terrible blow, Demon could do nothing against the succession of strikes that followed._

_It had been a mistake; challenging Magnamon so straightforwardly. He was, after all, a Royal Knight. Woe to the one who believes this is nothing more than a fancy title. Some believed that the current roster of Royal Knights was the same it had been since the very day they were conceived. That these twelve Digimon had fought countless villains for entire aeons. The truth was not nearly as impressive, but it did not change the fundamental truth: anyone would be hard pressed to find a Digimon with more combat experience than those twelve. At least not outside of the Dark Area._

_Even if Magnamon's stats were a bit lower than Demon's, the difference in combat skill was overwhelming._

_Demon fell on his knees after the mauling, and then took a right hook to the back of his head, sending him face flat to the hard ground. Everything was a big blur to Takato, and he only vaguely heard Lopmon's own groans of pain._

"_**Plasma**__**Shoot.**__"_

_When a particularly strong impact struck the back of his head, Takato realized Magnamon was punching them while firing plasma bursts at him. Completely prone and tasting dirt, Demon shuddered like a frog in a high school biology experiment. While it would have made sense to just keep at it until Demon fell apart, Magnamon proved himself an impatient Digimon and pulled the Demon Lord's cloak until he was standing again. When he was roughly spun until he was facing the Holy Knight, Demon only glanced down at the glowing hand planted on the very center of his chest._

"_Oh, this is gonna hurt, isn't it—"_

"_**Extreme Jihad**__."_

_The battle raging a distance away was paralyzed for a few seconds by the gigantic golden ball of energy that devoured the horizon and much of the local geography._

_It was mighty; it was humbling; it was power that rendered their own efforts utterly moot. Those opposing Reichmon growled in anger at the so-called defenders of the Digital World who had not come to their aid against the obsidian tyrant. Those who obeyed Reichmon wondered how long their lord would be able to sit on his throne before the Royal Knights decided he had had enough fun._

_Beelzebumon did not look back. Soon he would join the others inside the tower to fight Reichmon and his ridiculous ability to rewrite physical laws—__**Schwarz Lehrsatz**__. Nobody would go to Takato and Lopmon's aid. Nobody could; Takato himself had commanded it: the priority was ending Reichmon's attempt at empire-building._

"_Tch! Damn it!"_

_Beelzebumon forced himself not to look back._

* * *

"You…are rather enjoying this, aren't you," Takato commented in a simple voice that showed no complain. From his supine position on the surprisingly comfortable floor of the opulent chamber, the domed ceiling appeared as an impossibly elaborate halo above the girl's immaculate form.

"It is an irreplaceable opportunity," Dreams replied. "One that most likely will not repeat itself again. Please allow me to make the most of it." Her hands delicately explored the skin of Takato's face, her luminescent fingertips exploring the minutiae of his facial features. "It is only because I know you so intimately that I do not request sexual intercourse."

"Guh," the boy blurted as he felt his face heating up. It did not help, in fact, that the girl did not respond in any way to his obvious embarrassment. Still, he turned his head to the side to avoid meeting her inhuman golden eyes. "Don't…did you really need to say that?"

"…not…really."

An awkward silence ensued. Awkward to Takato, at least.

"Takato…are you really going to do it?"

The awkwardness was promptly dispelled. Apparently, it was time to talk business. He shrugged, his shoulders rubbing the girl's thighs in the process.

"Of course."

A long sigh escaped the girl's lips. It spoke of reluctance and resignation.

"…there will be no turning back after this. You know that, Takato."

The Chosen of Dreams shook his head slowly.

"There has never been any turning back for me. From the moment I wrote that stupid e-mail, I set myself to this end."

"You don't have to do this to yourself," the girl insisted, even if her voice lacked conviction.

"It's the only way," Takato replied, and the girl knew it was truth. Still, the Crest pressed on.

"Don't leave me, Takato," she pleaded.

"I'm not leaving you."

"It will not be the same."

"…I can't do this without you. Please don't stop me."

The girl sighed again. It spoke of defeat and lamentation.

"…stupid Takato," she said, shaking her head in clear dismissal of the boy's words. "I exist to make your dreams come true, and I rejoice in the pleasure of serving you. I cannot stop you, no matter how much I want to."

The nature of Dreams is the realization of wishes. It is fundamentally impossible for the Crest to restrain itself.

"Thank you."

Another short pause ensued, in which Takato quietly watched the girl's face while she continued her obsessive examination of Takato's body. Sometimes she made him tickle, but Takato did his very best not to react in a notable manner.

He spoke again only after noticing a teardrop like a liquid diamond trailing down her right cheek. With a single finger, he caught it and brought it close to his face for idle examination.

"You…picked an odd appearance," he said. It was a bit of an understatement.

"Odd?" Dreams repeated; both her voice and her face reflecting her confusion. Normally lacking a tangible form, it would be strange of her to have an understanding of what passes for normal or not when it comes to physical bodies. "Does it not meet with your approval?"

"Uh, no, that's not the point…" Takato said while scratching his right cheek with his free hand. "I mean, why that appearance, of all things?"

"Hmm…" Takato thought it was strange, the variety of expressions he had so far seen in so alien a face. "You wished to communicate with me within the standard mediums available to humanity, so I created an environment to make it possible. Both my appearance and this room were crafted with a sense of contextual appropriateness."

"Contextual…ah, you mean Thelema."

Dreams nodded. "I see you have already modified yourself a little, Takato."

"Ah, you mean the personality…?" Takato grinned and offered his Crest a mild chuckle. "I thought it was a nice chance to give the reactionary routines a test run."

"It appears everything is ready, then. Your dedication is admirable; truly, I could not have asked for a better master."

Of course, the happiness of Dreams comes from making dreams come true. The more outlandish, demanding and reality-warping, the better. It could be said the Crest of Dreams enjoys being demanded and pushed to the inexistent limit.

"Ahaha…" Takato chuckled embarrassedly. "I…I did my best. This is the move that will ensure my eventual victory, after all."

"Takato…" Dreams spoke even as she sighed. Her voice was one of pity and remorse. "You call that a 'victory'?"

"Um," the boy uttered and nodded with no uncertainty. "Absolute victory."

"At what cost, Takato?"

"Mah…" What came out of the boy's mouth was a surprisingly…mature, chuckle. Rather than the enthusiastic young boy, it resembled the wizened old man. "I'm not so blessed as to being able to just punch my problems to submission."

"…you have been watching strange timelines again, have you not?"

Takato grinned; it was a very distinct Matsuda Takato grin.

"I use your power to do that; you should know the answer to that question already."

"Takato!"

"Waaah, you sounded just like my mom …"

* * *

"_This is the Daughter of the King. This is the Virgin of Eternity. This is she that the Holy One hath wrested from the Giant Time, and the prize of them that have overcome Space. This is she that is set upon the Throne of Understanding. Holy, Holy, Holy is her name, not to be spoken among men. For Koré they have called her, and Malkuth, and Betulah, and Persephone."_

_Aleister Crowley, "The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Part Two", Appendix, p.143, 1944._

* * *

_Speed._

_It was speed that was keeping Magnamon alive and in one piece._

_How, exactly, had the situation changed so dramatically for the worse?_

_No, he actually knew the reason. It was still bothersome, though._

_Demon was the Avatar of Wrath. Naturally, wrath was his strength._

_The Demon in front of him was a reckless berserk engulfed by the red haze of fury. He was different from any other fighter—abandoning all pretense of tactics, skill and strategy actually made him stronger._

_The demon's wrathful roars made Magnamon's body shudder even as he desperately attempted to put some distance between them. It was as if Demon had become a beast of abandon; a monster that could only destroy and that would never stop. The concept of "stopping" might not even exist anymore in its berserk mind._

_A blasphemous magic circle of orange light surged into existence behind the roaring cloaked monster. It did not even bother calling out the name of its attack._

_Sweeping waves of strange, rippling energy, their amorphous forms purple, grey and black, burst out of the magic circle. One, two, half a dozen; they rushed like house-sized tentacles eager to swallow the golden Holy Knight. Yes, saying Demon had completely forgotten about strategy was not entirely true: in the time Magnamon weaved around the stream of energy attacks Demon, who only had to move in a straight line, closed the distance between them and forced the battle into a melee. And that—melee, that is—had proved to be a bit of a problem._

_Speed, power, endurance, reflexes and reaction time—all parameters had shot up the moment Demon had gone berserk. Feints would not work a second time, and suddenly punching Demon felt like attacking a diamond wall. On the other side…_

"_Gu-waaagh!"_

_Like a golden meteor, Magnamon fell hard after being struck by Demon's claws, his body impacting the hard ground twenty meters below in less than half a second._

_Overwhelming, demonic power. Was this really the same Demon the Royal Knights had defeated aeons ago? He had not even activated his Crest!_

_Was it somehow connected to Matsuda Takato…?_

_But, Magnamon really did not have time to think. The first priority was survival, the second was, of course, "invoking a miracle"._

_Such is the power of the parametrically weakest of the Royal Knights. Magnamon, born of a miracle, carries the innate power to "succeed against impossible odds". He is an entity which the hard laws of a realm of ones and zeroes will always, undoubtedly, favor. Blessed by luck in exceptional circumstances, Magnamon will always find a way to victory over his opponents._

_The piercing claws that would have reaching the gaps in his armored body suddenly stopped their dire approach. A sword descended, which would have cleanly sliced Demon's arm off had he not hesitated._

_The miracle this time was simply the arrival of reinforcements. Reinforcements that should not have made it in time; reinforcements that had no reason to be there, because Magnamon had acted completely on his own and thus nobody should have known where he was._

"_I wonder: is this the recklessness of youth…?"_

"_Ugh…" Magnamon groaned at the unsubtle jab. Truly, the one who now stood protectively before him was a knight of holiness incomparable. His back carried all the burdens of this world; he who could shoulder all hatred, the weight of all evils, and thus become their bane. His name could not make things clearer: whenever he makes act of presence, all darkness will come to an end, leaving only the pure clarity of truth and law. The magnificent composite knight, second amongst the Royal Knights._

"_**Omegamon**__, really…" the golden soldier called out dimly to his companion's caped back._

"_You have done enough today, Magnamon. Stand back."_

_A distance away, Demon warily growled at the newcomer, instinctively aware of the magnitude of this new threat._

"_Omegamon, he is—"_

"_Matsuda Takato, I know," the white knight finished as he took a single step forward. "You've fallen far since the first time we met, boy."_

_Of course, the boy inside the monster did not respond. He could not, for everything he had was devoted to not succumbing to the red haze of the Avatar of Wrath; to making sure that he could return to be Matsuda Takato once the berserk rage was over. So, even if he knew the situation had become completely hopeless, he could not stop._

_The demon lord roared in its boundless fury. Omegamon raised his bladed arm._

"_You cannot defeat me, boy."_

_He knew that. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Matsuda Takato knew that._

_But he could not stop._

_The air exploded when the two mighty Ultimates lunged at each other._

* * *

She was not entirely sure why she was reluctant to return home. Just a few blocks away, in the yet-to-be-restored ruins of a certain children's park she—no, Leviamon—destroyed some months ago, Katou Juri meditated in silence. Seated on a pile of collected but not-yet-removed debris, the pubescent girl reflected on the things she knew and the things she had learned that afternoon.

The Royal Knights. They knew so little about them. A group that is only known in rumors. Only Lopmon got to see two of them in action, but the others agreed that, solely by the magnitude of their presence, they could tell those Holy Knight Digimon belonged to a completely different level.

The strongest Digimon, Alphamon.

Takato and Alphamon had spoken in private, away from all eyes and ears. After their exchange, the Royal Knights abandoned all hostilities and allowed Takato and the others to make the trip back to the material world.

What happened in those occluded minutes, and how was it related to the grand scheme of things? It was certainly interesting to know Takato and the Digimon partners had met the Royal Knights, but the connection between that event and the Game, if any, remained unclear.

More importantly: the means by which Takato defeated Magnamon. Could it possibly be...?

Juri shook her head. Thinking about that brought back that most terrible of memories; the moment her innocence scattered like ashes.

"Haa..."

"He~eeh..." A melodiously taunting voice spoke from the darkness of the surrounding trees at night. "You should be more careful, Juri. If a lovely young maiden like you wanders alone at night like this, a big bad wolf might gobble you up~"

Juri released an uncharacteristic snort as she turned to meet the small figure emerging from the shadows.

"Takako-san."

As if coalescing from the shadows themselves, the young heiress stepped out of the darkness, greeting the unofficial Tamer Leader with a curtsy.

"The young maiden does not wish to return home just yet," the small girl continued, all the while wearing a devilish smirk. "Could it be, the maiden yearns for a libidinous nighttime adventure…?"

"Do-Don't be ridiculous!" Juri irately hissed in return, her high-pitched tone portraying her embarrassment at the unsubtle jab. "More like, why are you even here?"

Takako mock-sighed, shrugging in an exaggerated way Juri found utterly obnoxious.

"That father of mine; he's so busy he won't even keep track of what his lovely daughter is up to, really. But enough about my hopeless family; let's talk about you."

The awesomely long-haired girl sat next to Tamer; Juri thought she might have sat a little too close, even.

"What's in your mind, Juri?"

Unknowingly patting the closed shell of her slumbering Digimon partner, Juri looked up at the starless Tokyo sky.

"Lucemon came to this world…and I am still alive."

The Demon Lord snorted.

"Feh! You overestimate your importance, Katou Juri." After chuckling for a second or two, she continued. "While I fail to understand why the Royal Knights have not yet arrived to…'pacify' Lord Lucemon, the fact remains he has no interest in rampaging in this world…not yet, I guess. It's not like he made it here of his own volition, anyway; it just happened."

That was another thing.

"Why would Takato-kun…?"

Takako shook her head.

"I won't even try to understand those two. I don't really get their Game at all. I know what they're supposedly aiming for, but then they go and do all sorts of…haa," the girl broke her sentence with a deep sigh.

In other circumstances and with another conversational companion Juri would offer some words of succor. Takako did not really need them. Or deserve them.

"Ne…" Juri's voice came out very softly, as if she were wary of prying ears. "Why Takato-kun?"

"Why? What do you mean 'why'? Why is he the Player?"

The Tamer nodded, and Takako crossed her arms in front of her flat chest. She was no longer looking at Juri. Her eyes had followed the other girl's into watching the starless sky.

"Hmm…well, from what I have figured out, there are several reasons. The Crest of Dreams is obviously one of those."

"And why does Takato-kun have the Crest of Dreams, then?"

"Hnn…mah." The girl who was a Great Demon Lord shrugged. "Dreams really, really wanted a Chosen, I guess."

"Chosen…?"

"Ah, that's complicated. Long story short, **Dreams is not the only Crest, although it is definitely the strongest, as it created all others**. But there's a lot of weird dimensional and temporal mechanics involved, so please spare me."

Juri was only further confused by such an ambiguous dismissal of the whole topic, but she could tell she was not getting anything else on that from Takako.

"As for 'why Matsuda Takato of all people', well…honestly it probably could have been anyone. It just so happened that onii-sama was a match made in heaven."

"Why…?"

"Because,** since he has awareness, Takato has dreamt more intensely than anybody else in this world**."

Juri frowned, looking at Takako's profile with a mixture of doubt and worry.

"What does that…is that related to Thelema?"

"Eh?" Takako made an odd grimace when she looked at Juri. "No, no, it means exactly what I said. Onii-sama's powers are merely a specific gift from Dreams."

"Oh…" The dark-haired young Tamer looked down at the Digimon sleeping on her lap. "I…when you mentioned Thelema, the Monster Makers and I read a little…I couldn't make sense of it…"

"I'd be surprised if you could, girl," Takako said after a chuckle. "I don't think anybody will ever figure out what Aleister Crowley's mad ramblings truly mean, if they do in fact carry some logical meaning."

"Then why would Takato-kun—"

"Because it's a unique power, Juri." Takako quickly explained. "You probably know by now that Digimon and their powers are inspired by all sorts of sources, including humanity's history and mythology."

Juri nodded.

"There're Digimon like Wizarmon and Witchmon, who are obviously connected to the Western ideas of magic as depicted in classical fantastic literature. On the other side, there are also Digimon connected to the Eastern esoteric traditions. Lord Lucemon's and my powers come from Judeo-Christian Mysticism. **But there is no Digimon out there inspired by Crowley's Thelema**, so Dreams gave it to onii-sama. Whether onii-sama actually wished for superpowers or Dreams acted on its own is anybody's guess."

Takako shrugged.

"But I guess it was the obvious pick, looking back on it. It just fits, if you look at it from the Numerology angle. Huh, thinking back on it, I have to further reevaluate my opinion of onii-sama."

"Numero…logy…?" Juri understood the term, but could not see what it could possibly have to do with…

"Yes, yes, just use the Gematria onii-sama's so fond of." Takako grinned. "Yes, yes, it makes complete sense now! Waah, onii-sama, you must have worked so hard~"

Juri frowned when Takako jumped off the pile of rubble and walked over to the remnants of the park's sandbox. Still, she followed, admittedly curious. Maybe she was, after all, one of those girls who was intrigued by the occult and things of the sort?

"For example," Takako began by writing two words on the sand. "If you take the English words '_Dreamer_' and '_Thelema_'. Since they are technically English words, I should use English Gematria: the classic method based on the 24-letter alphabet starting with A equaling 6."

She thus wrote numbers under each letter of both words. She noted that, like Takako said, the letter A has been given the value of six, and the letter E had the value of 30. She did not try to find the pattern behind the assignment of values, though. She was not that interested.

"If you add the values of the letters for both words you'll get the same result. 384. Now…"

Takako erased the numbers before Juri could verify that they indeed added up to the same result.

"Screw Gematria, I'll just use the most basic of Numerology's codes: A equals 1, B equals 2, and so on."

The long-haired little devil wrote a new series of numbers.

"Try adding them; shouldn't take that long."

Indeed, the numbers were smaller this time, so it was easier to add them up.

"Sixty-four," was Juri's conclusion. "They both add to 64."

"Right," Takako confirmed. "The same happens if I use, for example, the Latin Qabala Simplex: they would both add to 58."

"Huh…" Juri puckered her lips for a moment. "That's…that's very nice and all, but I don't see what it has to do with anything."

"Stupid girl," Takako crudely retorted. "It's simple things like this that build a Digimon's identity and define the foundation of its powers."

"The reason I am one of the Seven Great Demon Lords is because I have the Crest of Lust, and the reason there is a Crest of Lust in the first place is because, in the 4th century, some guy Evagrius Ponticus made a list in Greek of 'evil thoughts' in which he included _**Porneia**_, 'prostitution' or 'fornication'. The list evolved into what people now call the 'Seven Deadly Sins', and then somebody wrote about it in the digital networks."

Takako patted the sand she was kneeling on.

"Whether it is the ramblings of an ancient monk or a bunch of numerological coincidences, the moment these things end up in the vast sea of discarded, forgotten junk that is your worldwide network, they become building blocks for the Digital World. Besides, I'm not done."

She began to write a new series of numbers.

"This time I'm using the original Jewish Gematria, adapting the values of the Hebrew letters to the English alphabet."

Instead of waiting for Juri to do the math in her head, Takako immediately wrote the results of both sums.

"This time they don't match, 205 and 169. However, it just so happens that the difference between those two numbers, 36, is a very interesting number from a strictly mathematical point of view. Let me show you."

"Firstly, as you probably know, it's a square. The square of 6, to be precise," Takako further explained, writing '6 x 6 = 36' on the sand. "It's also the seventh **triangle number**, meaning that 36 is the number of dots in an equilateral triangle with 7 dots on a side, as well as the sum of the integers from 1 to 8."

She wrote '1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8 = 36'.

"That makes 36 a **square triangular number**. Thirty-six happens to be the second such number, after 1, and the only triangular number besides 1 whose square root is also a triangular number," she said while writing '1+2+3 = 6 = √36'. This was followed by '1^3 + 2^3 + 3^3 = 36' and '1^2 x 2^2 x 3^2 = 36'.

"It is the sum of the cubes of the first three integers and the product of the squares of the first three integers. It is the smallest number with 9 divisors, which makes it a **highly composite number**, and it's also a **semiperfect number**, meaning it is the sum of a subset of its divisors."

She wrote '6 + 12 + 18 = 36'.

"The **pentagram** is one of the oldest religious and mystical symbols, used as far back as ancient Sumer in astrological records. The internal angle of a pentagram is, of course, 36 degrees," the small girl added as she drew a five-pointed star. "Thirty-six is also a Størmer number and an Erdös-Woods number, but that's already grasping at straws—ah, it's also a sum of twin primes, now that I think about it," she noted while writing '17 + 19 = 36'.

The smiling Takako looked up at the more than slightly confused Juri. It was obvious Takako had enjoyed the role of teacher far more than Juri the role of student.

"The point is, Juri, that all these seemingly pointless coincidences **build a story**: that of the 'mystical' connection between 'Dreams' and 'Thelema'. Even if they are just that, coincidences, the power of 'connections' becomes thus the power of onii-sama's 'magic', fueled and given form by his status as a 'Dreamer'."

She made a presenting gesture in the direction of her scribbles on the sand.

"All these things, onii-sama already knows himself; at some point my cute brother must have desperately sought these kinds of ridiculous connections, all for the sake of building on the 'weight of his mystery'. I wouldn't be surprised if we found some back alley website pointing out all this stuff. Maybe onii-sama himself made it, not for anybody to read it, just for the sake of **building on his power**. Or maybe he doesn't need to, what with Dreams inside him and all. Whatever. I answered your question on 'why onii-sama's power is Thelema'."

"Ha-haa…"

"As for 'why onii-sama has a power in the first place', well, like I said, either he wished for it or Dreams just gave it to him at its whim, who knows? Try asking him. In any case, it's certainly not a power Takato refuses."

"But, when he transformed into that…that Digimon, he was hurting so much…"

"Because his opponent is **Lucemon**, Katou Juri. He's not fighting the Devas, or the Sovereign of the South, or an ignorant Beelzebumon. Normal methods just won't cut it. He is giving his very best, everything he has," Takako said sternly. "I think it is admirable, and to be honest, I'm getting kind of wet thinking about it."

"Ta-Takako-san!" Juri exclaimed embarrassedly, her body flinching away from the small, shameless girl.

The Demon Lord chuckled and shook her head.

"Look, Juri. It's not our place to question, or doubt, or ponder or worry or whatever. You and I, we are just pieces in their Game."

"I'm Takato-kun's friend!" Juri cried out with all the intensity of her feelings. But that did not sway the Demon Lord of Lust.

"Sure, sure, whatever makes you happy. But you're still a piece. And a piece's role is to move as the Player commands." Takako smirked. "Or you're saying your 'friendship' doesn't go that far? That you cannot entrust the Game to your 'friend'…?"

"Ah, I…" Juri's initial embarrassment was soon replaced with scorn and disgust. "I…I see what you're trying to do, Lilithmon."

"Nuh, nuh, you only get to call me Lilithmon when I'm in that form. Right now I'm your darling Takato-kun's lovely little sister," Takako insisted while wagging her index finger in a clearly provoking manner. But Juri was not in the mood for antics.

"I don't care what you think, Lilithmon," Juri continued, heavily emphasizing the name. It only elicited a wider smirk from the smaller girl. "I believe in Takato-kun, but I won't let him do everything by himself. He is not alone."

"See, that's your problem, right there," Takako chided, shaking her head. "**You believe you can actually help him**. There is no game in which pieces can become players, girl. Look at it this way: you guys were pretty much screwed the moment Lord Lucemon got his eyes on onii-sama. But onii-sama, wonderful man that he is, still clings to his life and his soul with everything he has, fighting desperately and giving Lord Lucemon the time of his life. The least you guys could do is to stop doubting him and questioning him." The small girl sighed and flung her astonishingly long hair over her shoulder. "Seriously, it's like asking a shipwrecked man why he's still trying to stay afloat."

Juri's lips opened and closed like a fish's breaths while she tried to figure out a proper response. Takako would not bother waiting for it, though.

"But then again, I can sort of understand why you worry so much. I am the Avatar of Lust, after all."

The ponytailed girl was not slow, and her cheeks quickly rebelled upon exposure to such saucy words.

"Lu-Lu—my feelings, I'm not—!"

"Yes, yes, love and friendship and all that, I know," Takako said with a dismissive tone. "What I'm saying is, really, that desperation…that boundless hope that drives you to think with your heart rather than accept the unfair and hopeless reality…"

Unfortunately, Juri did not realize in time that the lascivious smirk on the other girl's face was in fact the prelude of mischief.

"…to be honest, a person like you, Katou Juri…"

Takako stepped into Juri's private space faster than the other girl, a mere human, could react. Next thing Juri knew, she was being kissed, and a petite, shameless tongue forced itself between her paralyzed, half-parted lips. The moment her body tried to move away, she found herself pushed forward—one hand on the back of her head, the other on the small of her back. While her own tongue jerked around lamely, Takako's roamed her tonsils, gums and palate without a shred of delicacy. A tiny squeak leapt out of Juri's mouth when her tongue was finally captured and forcefully pulled out to be suckled for a second or two before the little succubus pulled away, teasingly licking her lips and presenting the utterly dumbstruck Juri her sauciest smile.

"…I don't particularly dislike, you see?"

Laughing at a joke only she enjoyed, Takako turned her back to the stunned girl, glancing at the scribbles on the sand before walking away to the darkness she came from. She did, however, come to a halt just before entering the small forest beyond the ruined playground.

"Ah, by the way, let's make this your homework: try adding all numbers from 1 to 36; the result is a very interesting number worth discussing within the context of mysticism at some other time," she confided without bothering to turn her head to look at the other girl. "See you around, Juri."

The capability for conscious, non-automatic movement returned to Katou Juri almost a minute after Kuroyama Takako disappeared and left her alone. It began with trembling lips, twitching fingers and a strange jerk of her shoulders. And suddenly, she moved, with tremendous speed that would have been of much help just minutes earlier, when she lost something precious and irreplaceable.

Grabbing one of many available pieces of debris in the destroyed playground, Juri threw it in the direction Takako left to, even if she knew the girl was long gone.

"That was my first kiss, damn you!" Juri shouted angrily, most uncharacteristically of her. But she was angry, angry and hurt and disappointed and ashamed and so many things she just wanted to hit something.

"How dare you!" She cried out while throwing more and more trash—pieces of concrete, wood and metal alike—towards the unresponsive trees. "How dare you! How dare you! You selfish, shameless…"

Her lips twitched awkwardly, as if her closed mouth struggled to contain her voice.

"Youuuuuuu…" She squeezed her eyelids shut and pressed her lips together, to no avail. "…bitch! Mou!"

It took five or so minutes of irately pacing around the ruined park—she did not want to return home while angry—before her thoughts turned to Takako's final statement. She really did not want to indulge the shameless little devil, but she did say it might prove important. It would not take that long; she did know the formula for adding consecutive integers.

Kneeling on the sandbox, Juri calmly multiplied 36 by 37 and divided the result by two. Then, she stared at the result as if she could make it spontaneously combust with her glare. Her lips trembled again, failing at restraining her voice.

"…this is stupid. Stupid Takako."

However, she still erased the number from the sand before hurrying back home. It would feel like attracting ill omens otherwise.

* * *

"…do you mind? If I stay here until the Program[Spell] is ready."

It was a pointless question, Takato knew, but he still obliged himself to ask. Matsuda Takato was generally courteous to his elders.

He received the very response he expected.

"Fulfilling your wishes is my joy, Takato," the girl-that-was-not calmly replied, her hands gently pressing his shoulders against her thighs to ensure him he could stay there, unmoving. "Let us partake in enjoyable conversation all night long."

"Good, then I will ask," Takato said, seizing the invitation. "Why Lucemon?"

"Hmm?" The girl made most natural of sounds, which made it all the more abnormal coming from her. "I believe you already know why I created Lucemon."

"Yes, yes, I didn't mean that," Takato clarified. "I mean, hmm…why…why did you create Lucemon the way he is…?"

The girl was silent for a second.

"Allow me to clarify: what you wish to know is 'why my original creation, his appearance and powers, were inspired by the Christian figure of Lucifer'. Am I mistaken?"

"No, no…that's about right."

Dreams closed her eyes, surprising Takato with the fact that she actually seemed to be pondering the question. Was it the kind of thing even she could not explain immediately? Or maybe she was just bound by the limitations of human language…?

"A human is born with immense amounts of potential. It is impossible to tell whether a newborn baby will eventually become a scientist, an Olympic champion or a serial killer. A person's fate is determined by his actions in life, his personality, interests, ambitions and living environment."

"The original 'Digital Monsters' should have been like that. Of course, they were intrinsically bound by the limitations of the Monster Makers' original design. When I created Yggdrasil as the omni-dimensional control system of the Digital Worlds, I hoped it could eventually improve on the original design and create Digimon with the same boundless potential as humankind."

"By basing Digimon designs on simple concepts from human history, technology, culture, society and environment, Yggdrasil ensures that new Digimon kinds will emerge with relative regularity. However, at the same time, Yggdrasil has further limited the capabilities of Digimon by focusing on hyper-specialization of function. Have you ever wondered why most Digimon only have two 'special attacks'? It is truly disappointing."

Even if she spoke of disappointment, Takato could not see such a thing in her neutral expression.

"Digimon, as they are right now, are so…simple. Your Ruki's Sakuyamon should not be merely 'a Digimon inspired by the legend of Konohana no Sakuya-hime'; she should be 'the realization of the legend of Konohana no Sakuya-hime'. She should be the embodiment of every single aspect of the legend, no matter how obscure or contradictory, as long as a human believed in it enough to make it part of the digital networks. The potential of Digimon has been stalled, and it is most regretful."

She shrugged.

"So, when I took it upon myself to create a Digimon, I decided to make one closer to my view of 'how a Digimon should be': a creature of unlimited potential. To make a truly powerful Digimon, I sought a concept that could be explored and exploited more than any other. An idea so deeply embedded into the collective consciousness of humanity that it could stretch far beyond its basic significance."

Dreams sighed, but it could not help but sound a little fake.

"Truly, it is such a shame he is so narrow-minded…"

"Lucemon?"

The strange-looking girl nodded.

"He has embraced the title of 'Digital Lucifer' so eagerly that he remains blissfully unaware that he could be so much more. Surely, he is a terrific programmer and there is already little he cannot do, but still…is it so hard to understand…?"

Takato's expression of curiosity was her cue to say everything she wanted to reveal.

"Takato, I could have used many different concepts to create a Digimon as powerful as Lucemon, if not more. In the end, the reason I picked 'Lucifer' was because of its numerological connection to you."

Takato nodded. Applying English Gematria to the words 'Takato' and 'Lucifer' resulted in the numbers 408 and 444, respectively. The difference between then was 36.

"But, Takato, 'Lucifer' is much, much more than 'an evil figure from Christian mysticism'. The very idea of 'Lucifer' as 'Satan before the fall' was a construction of the Renaissance inspired by the Pseudoepigrapha. Even before that, the text of Isaiah 14 was an allegory about retribution for lusting after the things one does not deserve, for reaching beyond one's means and for self-centeredness that becomes megalomania."

As if looking for a way to keep her hands busy, Dreams' fingers began to trace random figures on Takato's cheeks. It was rather embarrassing, but Takato showed superb endurance and kept his thoughts to himself.

"Anybody who has read enough knows that the tales repeat themselves in different cultures and historical contexts. In the same way, the tale of the 'morning star' should not be merely interpreted as a Biblical figure. Unlike Sakuyamon, Lucemon should not be bound to the figure of 'Lucifer'."

"Takato, Lucemon is also **Phaeton**, son of Helios, who found only death after demanding the right to ride his father's chariot. He is **Icarus**, son of Daedalus, who dared believe he could reach the son with wings of wax. He is **Attar**, the god who attempted to claim the throne of Ba'al; **Attar**, the pre-Islamic god of battle, and **Attar**, Zoroastrian spirit of flames who chained Azhi Dahaka. He is **Astabi**, the Hurrian warrior god, and **Etana** of Kish, who was led by pride to strive for the highest seat among the star-gods."

"Isaiah 14:8 reads: Even the junipers and cedars of Lebanon gloat over you and say, 'Now that you have been laid low, no one comes to cut us down'. In ancient times the cedar forests were connected with the gods, and cutting them down was synonym with challenging them and proclaiming oneself as superior to them."

"My precious Takato, Lucemon is also **Set**, the vile god who cut down cedars to craft the chest in which he imprisoned his brother Osiris; and he is also **Gilgamesh** of Uruk, who did the same to immortalize his greatness."

"Hero, villain, warrior and god; he who brings ruin to the world and he who fills the world with blessings. The wise king, the proud king, the greedy king, the debauched king, the victorious king, the protector king; no matter who or what he is, he stands at the pinnacle of mortal achievement. That, my Takato, is the wonderful, incomparable Digimon I created."

* * *

"_And the poets have feigned songs about her, and the prophets have spoken vain things, and the young men have dreamed vain dreams; but this is she, that immaculate, the name of whose name may not be spoken. Thought cannot pierce the glory that defendeth her, for thought is smitten dead before her presence. Memory is blank, and in the most ancient books of Magick are neither words to conjure her, nor adorations to praise her. Will bends like a reed in the tempests that sweep the borders of her kingdom, and imagination cannot figure so much as one petal of the lilies whereon she standeth in the lake of crystal, in the sea of glass."_

_Aleister Crowley, "The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Part Two", Appendix, p.143, 1944._

* * *

_Takato gasped, not as an expression of pain, but of worry, as Lopmon slipped out of his arms' hold and bounced on the hard ground several times, further sliding along the ragged soil for several meters before coming to a halt._

_Resting on his arms and knees, Takato struggled to remain himself. In spite of being in a world where oxygen neither existed nor was necessary, it was hard to breathe. His head swayed up and down as he tried to regain his bearings. But he was still himself. He was still Matsuda Takato. He had resisted the powerful lure to give his soul to Wrath._

"_Lop…" Takato grunted, as his voice did not come out loudly enough. "Lop…Lopmon! Are you…?"_

"_Takato…sama…I…I am…"_

_The boy sighed with relief._

"_Stay…stay there…Lopmon!" He shouted. "It will…it will be okay…"_

_He said that, but…_

_The white knight approached with calm steps that voiced no worry. Why should he fear? Why should he be wary? He was Omegamon, to whom the Digital World reveals all secrets and keeps away from all harm._

"_I believe we are in need of an explanation, Matsuda Takato. How did you become the next incarnation of the Avatar of Wrath? Furthermore, I am certain this Lopmon is another human's partner."_

_Turning his back to Lucemon, Takato sat on the hard soil facing the tall Royal Knight, using his hands to bear the weight of his upper body. He looked exhausted. He was exhausted._

"_This is ridiculous," he said, eliciting a slight tilt of Omegamon's head. "Shouldn't you be dealing with Reichmon? Really?"_

"_Reichmon is not a threat to the structural stability of the Digital World," Omegamon calmly explained. "His intention is to rule and dominate, not to destroy."_

_Lopmon's tiny eyes went wide at that statement. Did he really mean it was okay for a Digimon to take over the Digital World and rule as a tyrant, as long as he didn't thrash the place?_

"_I see," Takato said, and Lopmon was appalled at how easily he accepted such a painful statement. "Then…if you are not willing to help, then I just cannot let you get in the way."_

"_That battle is of no relevance," Omegamon retorted. "Answer my questions, Matsuda Takato."_

"_No, no, no, it doesn't work…like that, Omegamon," the boy responded in as calm a tone as the holy knight's while slowly staggering back to his feet. As soon as his hands were free of the duty of keeping his body from collapsing again, he reached for his deck. "Only the losers have to answer the winners' questions."_

"_Do you really intend to keep opposing me?" The Royal Knight asked while raising his sword arm._

"_Well, I am a Digimon Tamer," Takato replied. "I can't admit defeat until I've played all my cards!"_

_Even Omegamon had to turn his eyes away from the miniature star that suddenly engulfed Takato the moment he scanned the chosen card. Golden, pure, flawless, brimming with power, warmth and potential; such was the blazing, shining, radiant aura that concealed Takato's awesome transformation._

_Gold._

_The human, clad in armor of gold._

"_Wha…?" Magnamon, who had not looked away, was the first to gaze upon the impossible. "Wha…?"_

_Why was Magnamon capable of facing the terrible light that subdued even Omegamon with its brilliance?_

_Of course, because __**it was his own**__._

"_Watch out—!" The Digimon of Miracles tried to warn, but it was futile and pointless. Blinded by the light, Omegamon could not have seen it. However, this was the Digimon gifted with the absolute precognition routine: __**Omega inForce**_.

_The punch that should have struck Omegamon's turned face met only the empty air. Having moved to the blind spot of his attacker, Omegamon got a first good look of Takato's latest exploit: indeed, it was no other than Magnamon's armor which protected the boy's body. But it was not just the suit of armor: the speed of that attack and the golden radiance that enveloped his body—it was truly as if Matsuda Takato had become Magnamon._

_Looking up at the still much larger knight while in a defensive posture, the Tamers wordlessly challenged Omegamon, while an utterly gobsmacked Lopmon watched the incredible development._

"…_even with that power, you still cannot defeat me, Matsuda Takato."_

_Takato did not say a word. Defeating Omegamon was never part of his plans. To defeat Reichmon, and then immediately return to the world of humans—that was the only thing which mattered!_

"_I will have you confess everything," the powerful Royal Knight declared. "About the Avatar of Wrath, about this power." He looked over his billowing cape at the other Royal Knight present. "Stay back, Magnamon. I fear he might have surpassed you in this form."_

_The golden Digimon's eyes trembled with suppressed anger at Takato's offense, but he knew better than to disobey his elder and far, far greater. With a respectful nod, Magnamon leapt far away._

"_Don't worry, Lopmon," the boy in the golden armor also spoke. "Nothing will harm you."_

"_Ah…um, yes."_

_Omegamon frowned, not looking very pleased all of a sudden. Lopmon would later realize that Takato had, in a way, used him as a hostage: as long as the small Digimon was lying there, incapacitated, Omegamon had to restrain himself, otherwise Lopmon could have easily become a victim of collateral damage in their clash of powers._

_The battle was renewed with newfound intensity, as fists clad in the gauntlets of the Digimon that defies all odds met the legendary sword of the knight of the end._

* * *

She wanted to punch him.

She wanted to beat him, kick him, tear him apart, with her bare teeth if necessary. Most unfortunately, it was but a hopeless dream. She could only swallow her anger and hide her frustration.

Makino Ruki wished she could be a little more like her Digimon partner.

"You…you are really something else, aren't you?"

Were he a human boy, Ruki would deem him the most disturbingly beautiful boy in the world. In the current circumstances, Lucemon's tender smile only pissed her off.

"I…will take that as a compliment, little Queen. Will you join me now?"

The most terrible enemy placidly relaxed in her courtyard, and she could only watch and grit her teeth. She had just returned from a very long and tense exchange with her family. Needless to say, everyone in the house was most disturbed by Lucemon's presence, but the fact remained that they simply could not ask him to go away. Her mother and grandmother were still in the kitchen, fighting off drowsiness with coffee, for they refused to retire for the night as long as that Digimon remained. As for Ruki, she felt unusually lucid, although the fact she had yet to bathe probably helped.

Prudency led Ruki to do as offered. She sat down next to the youthful angel, who merely glanced at her profile before returning to his observation of the starless sky.

"…so, how long do you plan to bless us with your presence?"

Lucemon chuckled at the blatant, unsubtle sarcasm.

"I plan to spend the night somewhere else, but I might change my mind if I am so wanted~"

Ruki wanted to say "Please go away", but she realized it was beyond reckless to leave Lucemon free to roam around the whole night.

"You're easy to read, Alraune," he mocked. "I do not plan to do anything naughty in my stay in this world, and I have every intention to return to the Dark Area after a good night's sleep."

"Really."

"Really," Lucemon repeated cheekily. "Somewhat has to go retrieve that hopeless nemesis of mine."

"You mean Takato," Ruki questioned with a somewhat skeptical voice. Lucemon laughed musically.

"Who else? What else should I call my opponent in the last and most fascinating Game?"

"The last…?"

"Indeed, this will be the last," Lucemon confessed. "After all, once I defeat Takato I will have everything I need to achieve my original ambition."

"Which is…?"

Another chuckle from the angelic Digimon. He offered Ruki a look full of contemptuous pity which made the girl grunt in annoyance.

"Well, I cannot blame you for being ignorant of ancient Digital World history." He looked back up at the empty sky. "To reshape the Digital World as per my will. To build my ideal world of order and harmony."

"…really."

"Really," Lucemon repeated. "The Digital World as it is right now…it is nothing but an unsightly mess in which everyone who matters does either whatever they feel like doing, or nothing at all. The Royal Knights tarry along with their hypocritical definition of 'justice', and nobody remembers the last time the Olympus Twelve did anything of note. The Four Holy Beasts are too weak to be of relevance…so stupid. The Digital World of today is just disgusting."

Ruki made a 'so-that's-the kind-of-villain-he-is' face. It is the annoyed face a person makes when she realizes the answer to a question that plagued her for a long time, only to realize it was extremely stupid.

"And you think you can do better."

"I did better, Black Queen." Lucemon sharply retorted. "My rule was the most peaceful and most grand, a true Golden Age of the Digital World."

"Then why did it end?"

Ruki's mocking tone did not pass unnoticed, but Lucemon chose the moral high ground and returned the girl's challenge with a disdainful gaze.

"Because everything ends. Because there is always some idiot who cannot accept the way things currently are. Do not pretend you know what we are talking about, little doll."

That got Ruki glaring back at the angel.

"Really, what's with you Demon Lords and giving me weird names? I'm really sick of it."

The words promptly dispelled whatever foul mood Lucemon might have gained after the last exchange, and he laughed gingerly and most amusedly.

"They are not 'weird' at all. I find them most meaningful and accurate. After all, Takato holds the black pieces in our chessboard. Could you be anything else but his Queen piece? And I believe I already explained 'Alraune'. Is your brain defective? Should I ask Takato to fix you up?"

"Oh, be quiet. And what does Takato have to do…ah, right. That 'Crest'."

Lucemon laughed some more.

"Ohoho, well aren't you brave? Really, perhaps you are more worthy of the name 'Makino Ruki' than I originally thought."

"What does that even mean?"

The angelic child's mysterious smile bothered Ruki far more than she would allow herself to let know. It reminded her of exactly who this Digimon was inspired by.

"Allow me to ask you a silly question, girl. About your father."

Ruki's neck jerked dangerously quickly, snapping to the side to allow her to show the most heated of glares.

"That's none of your business—"

"No, it is not. That is what makes the question silly. Your father, do you remember him?"

"Of course I remember him, you insufferable—"

Lucemon's smirk only stretched, as he effortlessly pushed Ruki into the trap.

"His face, girl. Do you remember your father's face?"

Ruki's jaw tightened, her teeth rubbing against each other until it became painful. She wanted to say "yes", more than anything. She wanted to do whatever it would take to remove that horrible smirk off his adorably cruel face. But **she had forgotten her father's face a long time ago**.

"Tha…tha…" For some chilling, unexplainable reason, Ruki felt the need to justify herself. "He left a long time ago, anyway…"

"Fair enough," Lucemon calmly replied. "Then, a second question: kindergarten. What do you remember of your early education?"

"Why do you even…?" Ruki had a tired look on her face.

"Please. Indulge me." The contemptuous smile on Lucemon's face would make anybody annoyed. Still, Ruki's mind immediately tried to recall the first fact it could find regarding her kindergarten years.

She came out empty.

No, perhaps 'empty' was not the right word. What her mind showed her was a mishmash of images rushing by so quickly they merged together into something that made absolutely no sense.

"Guh!" Ruki raised her left hand to her forehead, as the influx of strange imagery triggered an acute pain in her head. Renamon appeared out of nowhere, on the spot, to kneel by her Tamer's side. Only her eyes showed sign of worry.

"Ruki…?"

"It's…I'm okay," the girl quickly declared. "Just a weird headache."

When Renamon glared at the other Digimon, Lucemon raised his hands in a fairly standard "I didn't do it" gesture.

"Really, humans are so hopeless…" Lucemon spoke in a derisive manner, waving his hand as if shooing away an unpleasant bug. "Their brains are so limited that they have to erase old memories to make way for new ones. To think you already forgot things that happened a mere ten years ago, humans really are…"

"Oh stuff it."

Lucemon smirked, ready to further his subtle assault.

"Or maybe you're just special, little doll?"

Ruki glared pointlessly at the angel, who still kept that teasing, devilish smirk of his.

"Really, 'Makino Ruki', if your memory before, I don't know, **five years ago**, is muddled beyond recognition, why can't I just assume you're only five years old?"

"Because I'm not. I'm thirteen. Ask anybody who knows me and they will tell you the same."

"Ah, yes, yes, Makino Rumiko-san and Hata Seiko-san. I guess they would say, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that **Makino Ruki is thirteen years old**. So not even the absolute truth is absolute, huh…" Lucemon dropped his voice almost two full octaves, as he was talking to himself. "It is absolute only as long as the speaker believes it so…truly a scary power, Dreams…"

"What are you rambling…?"

Lucemon looked up at the brave girl Tamer once more, his Faustian smirk gone and replaced with the sunny smile of an angel.

"Ah, ah, don't mind me, don't mind me," Lucemon dismissed the girl's look of disgust. "Just the ramblings of an old man, this whole conversation."

"Old man…" Ruki muttered, her face as if something awfully sour had made its way into her mouth.

"After, humans are well aware of their limitations, so they leave a record of their existence. Things like photos, or the like?"

Ruki's lips pouted a little. Childhood pictures? She…was never a photogenic girl. Did she even have such things?

"In any case, I have wasted enough time here," Lucemon declared, patting his white toga almost mundanely after standing up. "I wish to rest for the evening."

"Do you even need to…?" Renamon openly mused, which earned her a wink from the Child Digimon.

"Just because 'I do not need to' does not mean I cannot enjoy a good night's sleep. With that said, I will see you both first thing in the morning, I guess."

"Wha—wai—!"

Ruki could not do anything about Lucemon vanishing in an instant, obviously relying in his Crest to cross vast distances in an moment.

"Tch, now where did he go?"

"Ruki, you should rest," Renamon intervened. "He did not lie when he said he would not do anything tonight, and…admittedly, there is little we can do at the moment."

Ruki mused on her partner's words, although she could not get the ill feeling in her mouth. Why did she feel like there was something she had not caught in that weird conversation?

"Tch, it pisses me off."

For all she knew, he was just trying to insult her in some fancy, overly subtle manner. Why should she care?

* * *

"But, Takato, I am surprised…"

"Hmm?" Takato tried not to reveal he had been dozing on and off for a while.

"You have not asked the question I would expect."

Glancing up at the girl's smiling face, Takato tried to make any sense of it. It was merely the result of an algorithmic process; what her constitutive code considered the proper way to fix her facial muscles at that moment. Then, how was it any different from a "true" smile, one made by a human being?

If it was up to Takato, his friends would never have to deal with this question.

"And that would be…?"

"The fact that I chose you even before you were born."

A fairly obvious question. If Dreams was looking for "The Biggest Dreamer", should it not look among those already living? How could it know, then, that the ideal master of the Crest of Dreams was yet to be born? Furthermore, how could it know the person's name would be 'Takato', and thus build a framework of mystical connections with its Digimon equal?

"Oh, that?" Takato spoke dismissively. "That's not such a big question. I already gave up on thinking of a linear flow of time."

"Ahaha, is that so…?" Her laughter still sounded somehow dry and not really into it.

"The fact you and I are both here, it should be the proof, right? Of my plan succeeding."

"Ah, so that is why you are so confident…" The amused-looking Crest retorted. "But, my precious Takato, causality is not as simple a thing as you make it out to be."

"Whatever," Takato dismissed with a childish pout. "Leave me to my childish thoughts, then."

"Yes, that might be for the best."

The girl chuckled, and Takato thought she finally got it right.

"Yes, Takato. Although I certainly had a 'birth', the moment I came into existence I became omni-temporal. I exist simultaneously throughout all times, and thus exist outside of time. It might be difficult to understand…no. If it is you, it should be possible. After all, the core of Lucemon's plan, as seen from D-Reaper—"

"Yes, yes, I know. You don't need to say more."

The smiling girl nodded.

"Of course you do. So, you understand that, since the very moment I was born, I was waiting for you."

"Sheesh…" Takato mumbled, scratching the itch on his cheeks. "You're worse than Lucemon."

Another elegant giggle. "Thank you very much."

"But, it's rather pitiful," Takato said. "If you knew everything you would do since the moment you were born, that means you have no free will."

Dreams shrugged. "I cannot long for something I have absolutely no expectations about. Hence, I am not particularly bothered by my lack of free will." She paused. "Just like intercourse."

Takato grimaced.

"And we're back to that again…also, I'm sure that's a completely different thing."

"Hmm, is that so." The girl had an expression that said 'I'm not convinced'. "Though, it might be better if Takato did not have any expectations regarding intercourse."

"Hearing that from you makes me really, really afraid!"

"But I just—"

"Stop!" Takato insisted. "Nothing more will be said about that."

"Haa…"

Indeed, nothing more was said about that.

"So, how long until the whole thing is compiled?" Dreams finally asked instead.

"Seven, eight hours," Takato lazily replied. While a part of him wanted to spend those eight hours sleeping, another realized it would be his only chance to interact with his Crest in this manner.

"Hmm…I wonder: should I do something for GranDracmon? He is really an innocent victim…"

"Nah, nah, you don't need to worry about a guy like that. Rather, can I ask you another question?"

"It is my pleasure, Takato."

The boy nodded, acknowledging the honest words that carried not a hint of romance. They, Takato and his Crest, were not those kinds of characters.

"Why didn't you choose onee-chan? She was…I mean, the reason I followed her in the first place was because…"

"She was ambitious, yes. More ambitious and courageous than anyone. Had it been up to me, the Crest of Courage would have belonged to her. But you see, Takato, she was not a Dreamer. You could say our affinity was not good."

Takato's face showed that he still did not get it, so the girl spoke further.

"Makino Ruki had many ambitions, hopes and aspirations in life. She fought her hardest precisely because she wished to live a long, fulfilling life. She was looking forward to life after the Game. However, all her dreams were strongly embedded within the realm of 'common sense'. Things like a successful career, living in a big mansion, amassing a fortune, building a happy family; she was confident, and her wishes were strong, but in the end they only amounted to simple things every plain human being longs for."

"Makino Ruki, even since childhood, was strongly driven by rational thoughts. She never dreamt of other worlds or powers beyond human comprehension, not until she met Lucemon. She turned her back to fantasy."

"But, really…" Takato mused. "How am I any different from other kids, I mean, onee-chan aside, lots of kids have those kinds of…"

"Takato, my slave and master, have you already forgotten? The e-mail Lucemon found and which led him to you?"

"Ah…" Takato winced. In the end, it went back to that thing.

Yes, that e-mail, at that moment, carried his honest, most earnest wish.

* * *

"_This is she that hath bedecked her hair with seven stars, the seven breaths of God that move and thrill its excellence. And she hath tired her hair with seven combs, whereupon are written the seven secret names of God that are not known even of the Angels, or of the Archangels, or of the Leader of the armies of the Lord."_

_Aleister Crowley, "The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Part Two", Appendix, p.143, 1944._

* * *

_The difference in specs was clear—whether it was physical capability or combat skill born from experience, the Royal Knight was superior. Furthermore, Takato was fighting a being that could anticipate every threat. Hence, this was a being that would not be defeated by a stroke of luck or a convenient accident._

_Omegamon does not make mistakes._

_Gold and white clashed again and again in the sky. While the gold one darted in every direction like a mad pinball, the white one relied on minimalistic movements to parry the other one's furious assault. Omegamon only did the absolutely minimum necessary to prevent damage and it was only because he was Omegamon that he could do that._

_He could not be defeated in a battle of attrition._

_Takato's back met an outcrop of rock, but he moved just in time to avoid the horizontal slash that cut the stone at the base. Omegamon's eyes narrowed just before the gargantuan rock he had just sliced off the ground shattered in a million irregular and very sharp fragments, but the point-blank explosion would not harm his excellent armor. The Royal Knight elegantly protected himself by letting the shards bounce off his cape—_

_The knight's bladed right arm darted out of the cape to meet Takato's punch._

"_It is useless," he stated of Takato's idea of using the shower of fragments for cover. Soon enough, the armored human was once more overpowered, his golden form crashing on the ground like a beautiful meteor._

_This time, Takato did not stand up immediately afterwards. Lopmon watched the prone boy sprawled on the hard soil with sad eyes._

"_So, this is the difference between Magnamon and Omegamon," Takato murmured as he struggled to control the hasty pace of his heaving breath._

_The difference between the weakest and the second strongest among the Royal Knights._

_Omegamon's heels touched the ground, the knight standing over the fallen human and unhesitatingly pointing his Grey Sword at his face._

"_You will speak now."_

_A statement. Never a question. Omegamon does not need to ask questions._

_Takato chuckled even as he raised his body until he was kneeling on one leg. It was actually kind of hard to speak in his current state. He would not be able to explain things properly even if he wanted to._

_The Royal Knight's next attempt at pulling information out of Takato was interrupted by a series of explosions. Two Royal Knights, a human and a Child-level Digimon glanced in unison in the direction of Reichmon's castle. It was falling apart, despite not having suffered significant structural damage. Pieces of obsidian towers fragmented and collapsed like Lego blocks, never touching the ground for they dispersed into meaningless data as they fell._

"_Reichmon is dead," Omegamon declared, and Takato sighed in relief. Now he had to distract the Royal Knights long enough to slip everyone through the gate…_

"_Step back, Omegamon."_

_It could not be a Digimon._

_The owner of that voice could not possibly be a Digimon, but perhaps it was precisely for this being that the word 'Digimon' applied the most. That which filled the vast open land with the magnitude of its mere existence was a true 'Digital Monster'. A monster of monsters that defied all comparison._

_Should he laugh or cry? Should he bit his tongue or cry in outrage at his misfortune? Takato had yet to even see __**the monster standing behind him**__, but his miserable, pitiful body clad in the most radiant golden armor had already surrendered. Vaguely, just vaguely, he heard the shrilly, pathetic cries of Shaochung's Digimon partner. Of course, if he, Matsuda Takato, had succumbed to this point, then Lopmon must be wracked by incomparable terror…!_

_Omegamon's eyes showed the extent of his surprise at the most unexpected newcomer. His own power was immense, and he was amongst the few who could stand before this immense, unreasonable existence without being defeated by its very presence. Even Magnamon had chosen to land and fall on one knee, keeping his eyes fixated on the ground so as to not reveal the extent of his awe and his fear._

_This was a Digimon that could not appear before other Digimon. The gift of undefeatable power was also the curse of eternal solitude._

"_I am __**Alphamon**__."_

_Yes, Takato had already figured out as much. The abomination before him could only be the one who imprisoned Lucemon in the Dark Area. In fact, how monstrous could Lucemon possibly be, that not even this absurd being could slay him?_

"_I have come following the presence of the Crest of Wrath," Alphamon explained his appearance to all the presence. "I can feel it within you, human, and not only that."_

_Takato squeezed a clump of hard soil with his left hand. He could not…he could not allow this monster to say another word! Lopmon was right there! This…Alphamon, he was about to ruin everything!_

"_Please…" For some reason, that was the word that left his lips._

_A tilt of the supreme knight's head. Holy? Could they really call this thing a 'Holy Knight'? This thing, more fearsome, more terrifying than any Demon Lord?_

_Alphamon turned its body to fully face the fallen Takato, whose body trembled as it became the sole recipient of the huge knight's attention. This was…this was ridiculous, and humiliating beyond compare._

_What were his options? None; it was preposterous to even think of the possibility of options existing. No, to the current Matsuda Takato, there was only one way out._

"_Please…say, say no more," Takato pleaded, and as if his words were an admission of surrender, the golden armor of Magnamon he wore scattered into worthless bits of data. "I…I'll tell you everything."_

_However, that did not mean he had lost._

"_But…"_

_The Royal Knights' eyes narrowed._

"_Only to you," Takato declared, quickly working his way to the least disadvantageous path. No matter what, his pieces could not learn of the Game. Not yet._

"_I'll speak only to you, Alphamon."_

* * *

"Jen…"

"Hmm?"

Late that evening, partner and Digimon stared at the ceiling together. While her mother often argued about letting the Digimon sleep with their Tamers on the same bed—mostly out of 'health concerns' or the such—, most of the time Jenrya's and Shiuchon's partners did pretty much whatever they wanted.

"What are you thinking?"

Jenrya hesitated for a moment.

"I think…" He eventually spoke, slowly and somewhat distractedly. "…that I'll ask you and Lopmon to repeat that story again tomorrow."

"Hmm…"

There was a strange coldness in the room, at odds with the warm summer night breeze. Rather than coldness, it was more a sense of "distance". Terriermon was resting on his Tamer's chest, but there might as well be a stone wall between them.

"I cannot help but feel there's something you guys are not saying."

"**We told you everything we saw that day**, Jen," Terriermon retorted. "Lopmon told you how they were beaten by the Royal Knights. When I and the others got out of Reichmon's castle, Takato and Alphamon were away from Lopmon and the other two, and **nobody knows what those two said to each other**."

The green-white Digimon leapt off Jenrya's torso and planted his head on the pillow to stare at the young human's eyes. It was a level of intimacy Lee Jenrya only shared with his Digimon partner, so far.

"We told them that we beat Reichmon, but Cyberdramon went on a rampage. Takato and Alphamon then hurried to the collapsing castle, but we were too exhausted to follow, and Alphamon scared the living shit out of us."

The Child Digimon shuddered; the mere memory of that abominable existence shaking him to his very DigiCore.

"**We don't know what happened in the castle, either**. They returned a few minutes later, Takato carrying a sleeping Monodramon. Alphamon left with the other Knights after that; Magnamon and Omegamon did not look too happy about it, but who's gonna argue with that monster?"

"Haa…"

Jenrya sighed, and looked away from his partner and back to the ceiling once more.

"Takato…reached some sort of deal with Alphamon."

Terriermon did the same, and both Tamer and partner found themselves once more admiring the clean ceiling above their heads.

"That…would be the likely possibility, yes. But what really bothers is what Alphamon said when he first arrived, according to Lopmon."

"The Crest of Wrath…"

Jenrya and the Digimon Tamers already knew about the Crests of Deadly Sins from Katou Juri. They also knew of Juri's possession by Leviamon and how Takato saved her by claiming the Demon Lord's Crest of Envy for himself.

"**Takato already had the Crest of Wrath, back then**," Jenrya stated, and it was, indeed, the absolute truth.

The Digimon Tamers do not know this, but **the number of Crests of Deadly Sins Matsuda Takato currently possesses, is three.**

It was a good thing, of course. It was a step towards Takato's victory and freedom. However, the question was important because it was frightening. Jenrya wished to know because not knowing made him nervous.

**When did Takato defeat Demon?**

* * *

With the glow of myriad points of artificial light, Lucemon arrived to his final destination of the evening. Standing in the middle of the small room, the Child Digimon planted his small hands on his hips and made a face of smug satisfaction.

"Umu," he said to himself, as if there had been any possibility of his instantaneous movement failing. It was an unnecessary gesture that did not truly mask the excitement clear in his beautiful irises.

He inhaled. Deeply.

"Suuuu…"

He inhaled, and his body flushed with almost sensual bliss.

"Haa…"

He exhaled, almost reluctantly, the sound of the air escaping his lips carrying an undercurrent of longing. Still, his eyes glimmered with happiness.

"This place…" He murmured as in a trance, his voice half an octave higher. "It's so full of **you**…"

Like an art geek who visits the Louvre for the first time, Lucemon's eyes danced merrily to capture the sights of Matsuda Takato's bedroom: the school textbooks aligned on a shelf over the desk, the Digimon Card Game posters adorning the walls, the Agumon action figure that triggered an unusual dark feeling in Lucemon's chest.

Of course, he had seen this place hundreds of times before, when following Takato's days. He knew of the old drawing notebooks stuffed in a cardboard box in the closet, together with an old Disney cap he received from Makino Ruki and a make-up kit he got from Makino Rumiko. He also remembered the group of stray cats that chose the alleyway right out of Takato's window for their occasional nighttime concerts.

Lucemon, who had followed Takato's life for over five fruitful years, knew everything that could possibly be known about this room. But the happiness that inflamed his chest simply by being there, in person, could not be denied.

Furthermore, **that thing** was there. On the corner.

**It beckoned**.

Lucemon looked at it with trepidation, out of the corner of his right eye; his pride obliging him to resist its temptation, even if he knew it was pointless. Even stronger than his pride, that insufferable, irresistible feeling…!

Stealthily, hesitatingly, sliding his bare feet along the cold floor, he inched towards that damnable thing. He glanced nervously at both window and door, no matter how unlikely it was for anybody to catch him unaware. Window, door, and then that…that…

He could not.

Lucemon simply could not hold himself anymore!

He plopped down on its empyreal softness, and a most unbelievable "funyaaa~" sound escaped his majestic lips. His angelic wings wagged like the tail of a delighted puppy. An electrical current shot from his tail bone upwards, making his body shudder and his vision go blank for a moment.

It was wonderful! So wonderful! Too wonderful!

"Funyaaa~" The same strange, incomprehensible word, this time muffled by the malleable softness of Matsuda Takato's pillow.

Lucemon's eyes suddenly shot up in utmost shock!

Yes, it was certainly a pillow.

**Lucemon was resting face-down on Matsuda Takato's bed.**

And his face…on the pillow.

The pillow.

The pillow…!

**Lucemon's face was buried on Matsuda Takato's pillow!**

He trembled. It was hesitation that made him tremble. Not even the strongest Digimon, Alphamon, could make Lucemon feel doubt in this manner. He acknowledged Alphamon as the strongest, but he did not fear him.

No, Alphamon did not…he had nothing on the ultimate temptation presented before him! Even his magnificent pride would surrender before its charm!

Yes.

It was pointless to hesitate. **After all, this battle was lost long before it started.**

Lucemon inhaled.

**He inhaled like he had never inhaled before**.

He was lying on a bed long unused; a bed Matsuda Takato had not rested on in months. Rather than any human scent, his nostrils were instead filled with the perfume of detergent and softener.

However, it was still the bed where Matsuda Takato had slept since he had memory. It was the place where he had spent between one-fifth and one-fourth of his entire life.

Nowhere in the universe was Matsuda Takato's presence stronger, than on that bed. Thus, even better than the best trained dogs, Lucemon could **feel him**. All over that room, and at its strongest on that bed.

"Takato…" Lucemon whispered gleefully. "It's like…fuaaah~"

He rubbed his face against the pillow in inexplicable joy. He giggled like a girl who was confessed to by the boy she had always liked. He greedily grabbed the pillow and squeezed it against his body. He rolled on the bed like a hyperactive kid, his tiny hands never letting go of the fluffy headrest. He was out of control; he truly could not control himself. It was something completely beyond his control, something that betrayed even the pride that was his power. Before this incomprehensible feeling he never asked for, his body succumbed and his mind became like marshmallows.

"And that's why…" He muttered, as his relentless rampage on the bed finally came to a stop. With his face half-hidden by the pillow, Lucemon glanced at the empty ceiling of Takato's dark bedroom. But nothing could hide the emotions in his eyes.

Sadness, longing, regret, disappointment, boundless affection.

But, above all, the determination of one with the power to both create and destroy worlds.

"That is why, I have to destroy you, Takato."

**As long as Matsuda Takato existed in this world, Lucemon's wish could not be fulfilled.**

This, Lucemon believed to be absolutely and undeniably true.

However, if only for that night, he would forget about that and bask in the comforting presence of the one who was his and only his.

Clutching the pillow like an unimaginable treasure, the Avatar of Pride, Lucemon, for the first time in many, many, many years, slept.

* * *

Eight hours passed, and the two chatted the whole time. They spoke of all sorts of things: of the Tamers, of Takato's Digimon partner, of Makino Ruki, of the Digital World, of life, the universe, and everything.

"It's done," Takato finally said. Albeit reluctantly, he lifted himself off Dreams' soft thighs and faced her properly. "It's compiled."

The Crest nodded. The boy smiled with affection and gratitude.

"Thank you for staying with me tonight."

He honestly did not know if he would be able to express his gratitude like that again, so he thought it better to make his feelings clear in that moment. The strange, inhuman girl, however, shook her head in response.

"Takato," she said. "No matter what you request of me, no matter what you choose to do or what you choose to become, I am yours."

She exists beyond good and evil, right and wrong. She is but a machine, a perfect genie that unhesitatingly turns her master's dreams into reality, without regard for the consequences.

Takato chuckled. "I don't deserve you."

Dreams shook her head again. Worthiness or virtue had nothing to do with it. She chose him because, even before he was born, she knew he would make her do amazing things for him.

Because she knew, and still knows that, one day, **he will dream a Dream of incomparable greatness**.

"Go, Takato. Dream for your own sake. **Dream for me.**"

Her expression had never changed. Neither had her voice. But Takato still felt an irreplaceable connection to this transcendental being. He considered Dreaming her into reality for a moment, but Dreaming to manipulate the nature of Dreams was too risky, especially at this critical juncture. No, he had to accept this as their one and only night.

"Don't worry," Takato said while grinning confidently. "I intend to use you thoroughly and without hesitation."

Dreams nodded and the world around them, the hall of gold and marble and elegance beyond compare, began to fall apart like house of cards. Takato's words, words that would be deplorable when aimed to a human being were accepted most eagerly by this vast existence beyond comprehension.

"Use me with abandon, my precious Dreamer."

* * *

Inside an octahedral crystalline prison, Matsuda Takato opened his eyes. Almost immediately, he felt the pressure of GranDracmon's gaze on him. The Vampire Lord watched him from above, elegantly seated on the wide throne at the top of the staircase of red felt, golden threads and violet crystal.

Even in the center of his territory, where he was at his strongest, GranDracmon was cautious. Takato thought it was a great quality. He almost felt sorry for him, for no amount of caution would be of help in the current circumstances. Really, it could not be helped.

Human (if he can really be called such) and Digimon stared at each other at length. The Digimon watched over the crystal with an austere, regal poise, like a sphinx guarding the gate to great riches. The human boy wore a calm, pleasant smile.

GranDracmon jumped to its paws the moment the concentric circles of the Crest of Dreams came to life under the crystalline prison. However, by then, it was already far too late.

"**BABALON.**"

The source is Thelema. The language is Enochian. No schema was applied.

The name of the sacred whore in whose purity resides the path of supernal enlightenment.

GranDracmon's crystal fortress exploded.

* * *

"_Holy, Holy, Holy art thou, and blessed be Thy name for ever, unto whom the Aeons are but the pulsings of thy blood."_

_Aleister Crowley, "The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians, Part Two", Appendix, p.143, 1944._

* * *

**CHAPTER 03 – END**


End file.
